Premier League teams who improved after losing their best players
The Guardian A series of Premier League clubs lost their most important players in the transfer market this summer. Harry Kane left Tottenham as their captain and all-time top scorer; Declan Rice said goodbye to West Ham after captaining them to their first trophy in 43 years; Wilfried Zaha left Crystal Palace as their top scorer and appearance holder in Premier League history; and Brighton lost not one but two key central midfielders. Losing a star player should halt a teams progress, but that has not always been the case.
Wayne Rooney spent his formative years in Evertons academy, famously announcing his arrival as a 16-year-old when scoring a spectacular last-minute winner against Arsenal in 2002. He finished as the clubs top scorer the following season, drawing the attention of Alex Ferguson. Everton fans felt betrayed when the 18-year-old moved to United at the end of that season, as exemplified by the graffiti that adorned a wall outside Goodison Park: Rooney could have been a god, he chose to be a devil.
