The old bibilical tale about the prodigal son could do with being told for the modern age

The old bibilical tale about the prodigal son could do with being told for the modern age. Only this time the emphasis should not be forgiveness but making the right choices. Van Nistelrooy and Canavaro to Real Madrid, Khevchenko and Ballack to Chelsea it's been transfer merry go round. Never mind that all this players are approaching or are already on the wrong side of thirty. Now its our turn to see who got their decision as right as Rooney or as wrong as Wright-Phillips.
Moving to another club can be the player's best experience if it is the right club and time. But the trouble is having to check the former club's records for the players' career highlights when they could have stayed on and become 'true' legends. Unfortunately this is what might happen to Nistelrooy, Ballack, Khevchenko and Canavaro.Granted, Van Nistelrooy fell out with Sir Alex but choosing to stay in your manager's good books especially if he is Alex Ferguson, is part of 'making the right choices' that we are talking about. Ruud may a predator supreme, Khevchenko, Ballack and Canavaro may be the best of their kind but no man is too big for failure if they get their decisions wrong.
Football can be very unforgiving as Anelka will testify.He had become a sensation at Arsenal winning the FA cup and Premiership double in the 97/98 season and becoming the PFA player of the 98/99 season. Soon after, he swapped common sence for arrogance demanding much more improved terms from a club that is rumoured to be run by misers. He later transfered to Real Madrid scoring four goals in twenty nine appearances the next season. Although he won the champion's league that year, he failed to settle and Paris St Germain provided him with an escape route. From PSG to Liverpool (loan) to Man city to Fernabahce and finally (hopefully) to Bolton. A player of Anelka's quality should never have had to travel that much.
Owen was the blue-eyed boy of Anfield until he threw away his halcyon days for a move to spain. Soon it was evident he had not done his homework, moving to a club that had watched Ronaldo at the world cup and believed in Raul. He failed to secure a first team place despite many scoring goals as a substitute.Beckham's, Veron's and Viera's stories are for another day but the point is there is a certain stage in a career where one should just feel lucky. Why move to another club when when you are already accomplised, especially when the two are playing at the same level? Ballack refused to sign a contract even after persuatoin for over a year and headed to Chelsea claiming he needed a new challenge (read; champion's league trophy). But what except the English premier league couldn't he win with Bayern Munich?
Last season, newspapers devoted a lot of space covering Crespo's, Reuben's and Wright - Phillips' unrest but strikers and midfielders still headed for the bridge.Footballer's never learn from others experiences which is why they still sign for Chelsea. Abramovich has single handed turned the phrase 'money can buy any thing' into a cliche. Buying to solve all Chelsea's prolems but most importantly to prevent his rivals from solving their's which is what players don't want see. The worry is of late he seems to have taken on Real's failed galactico policy: buying old and expensively. Soon many compare their new life to the old and they can only get frustrated.