Patrick Roberts suffers post Celtic tailspin as Wayne Rooney inspiration can't stop career tipping point

Mercurial Patrick Roberts was the player all of the big clubs wanted as a youngster.

Now, at just 25-years-old, he’s the man who can’t even make an impact in League One.

The old joke about being able to do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke took on a slightly different meaning for Roberts.

He wasn’t in Stoke but was up against them on Monday night for Sunderland. But it wasn’t even the Potters first team but the second string.

And the answer was that he couldn’t do it as he was hooked for the Black Cats second string in a 3-0 loss in the Premier League 2 fixture.

It’s been a spectacular fall from grace for the player who showed so much promise, certainly during his first loan spell, while on loan at Celtic from Manchester City.

City splashed out £11 million for the man nicknamed "Mini Messi" in the Fulham ranks and described as “extraordinary” by Felix Magath who handed him his Premier League debut.

Brendan Rodgers got the best out of him with the player scoring against his parent club at the Etihad during a Champions League clash.

But five loan moves on from his time at Parkhead and he finds himself out of the first team picture under Alex Neil who recently took over at the Stadium of Light.

Here, Record Sport Online looks at what has been said by managers during his loan spells in as his career has gone on a downward spiral.

His first stop after the east end of Glasgow was the Spanish outfit as City used their links with Girona.

But he was hardly used, making just six starts in 19 appearances with his loan eventually cut short.

When asked in April 2019 if his loan would be extended, head coach Eusebio Sacristan on said: “Patrick Roberts isn't in the squad.

“There are other players in the team I believe that