Martin Petrov and the 10 football sinners who got forgiven

By Mirror Football in Mirror Football Blog

Published 23:00 19/10/09

• 

Martin Petrov is back in Mark Hughes's good books after netting a priceless equaliser for Manchester City against Wigan at the weekend.

The Bulgarian winger had fallen out with the Eastlands boss after being left on the sidelines for much of the early part of the season. But he more than restored workplace relations with his precious goal at the DW Stadium on Sunday.

So here are 10 more footballers who have been forgiven for their sins…

10) Tony Adams
He later became the model of sobriety, but in the early 1990s, Adams sorely tested the patience of his Arsenal manager George Graham. In 1990, he spent two months in jail after crashing his Ford Sierra through a wall while four times over the limit. In 1993, he needed 29 stitches to his head after falling down stairs, and even let off a fire extinguisher in a Pizza Hut. But the club stuck by him, and he repaid their faith by blossoming into one of the finest English defenders of his generation.

9) Aiden McGeady
In December 2008, the Celtic winger was suspended for two weeks and fined two weeks' wages after a dressing-room argument with manager Gordon Strachan following a 1-1 draw with Hibs. The two had already had a bust-up after a 4-2 defeat to Rangers in the Old Firm game. But he was forgiven for his misdemeanours, going on to score for the Bhoys against their bitterest rivals in the League Cup final just three months later.

8) Nigel Reo-Coker
The Villa star was suspended earlier this season, following a training ground bust-up with sharp-tempered manager Martin O'Neill. It was reported that the pair had to be pulled apart following a bitter argument, after Reo-Coker had slated a team-mate for not passing to him in a training match. The midfielder was dropped from the team to face Portsmouth, but just weeks later, he returned to the first-team for the home game against Manchester City.

7) David Weir
In 2002, the Scotland defender hung up his international boots, after being slated by manager Berti Vogts for his performance against the Faroe Islands in a Euro 2004 qualifier. But once the maligned German boss had been booted out his job, Weir was welcomed back with open arms by new manager Walter Smith in 2004, and remains a key member of the squad to this day.

6) John Hartson
The man they called the Ginger Klinsmann (oh, all right, we just made that up) required the absolution of his West Ham manager Harry Redknapp in 1998, after kicking team-mate Eyal Berkovic in the face during training in an incident captured on a video camera. After forking out a hefty fine, the Welshman returned to the Hammers first team.

5) Steven Gerrard
Stevie G earned the wrath of the Liverpool fans in the summer of 2005 when, just weeks after his side's amazing victory over AC Milan in the Champions League final, he almost walked out on Anfield to join arch-rivals Chelsea. But a few typically barnstorming performances later, with a stunning last-minute FA Cup final equaliser for good measure, the entire incident had been forgotten.

4) Paul Merson
In November 1994, the gifted Arsenal forward admitted to being an alcoholic and a cocaine addict. But just as with Tony Adams, the club stood by him, and he underwent a three-month rehabilitation programme. He returned to the side in February 1995, and helped them reach the final of the European Cup-Winners' Cup.

3) Craig Bellamy
The fiery Welshman is another serial sinner. During his time at Newcastle, he threw a chair at coach John Carver following a row about car parking at Newcastle Airport, but soon won his place back in Bobby Robson's first team. He also had a training ground fracas with Robson's successor Graeme Souness, which ended in the Scot grabbing him by the throat, but Souness still picked him for the next game. And during his stint at Liverpool, he was fined two weeks' wages for whacking team-mate John Arne Riise with a golf club during a team bonding session, but kept his first-team place for the next game at Barcelona, when he scored and celebrated with an imaginary golf stroke.

2) Joey Barton
Frankly, we've almost lost count of the number of times the narky midfielder has been forgiven for his misadventures. During his time at Manchester City, he stubbed out a cigar in a youth team player's eye and managed to get sent off at half-time , before an assault on team-mate Ousmane Dabo finally saw him drummed out of the club. He joined Newcastle, during which time he's spent six months in prison for assault (while on bail for two previous offences), committed dodgy fouls on the likes of Dickson Etuhu and Xabi Alonso, and verbally attacked caretaker boss Alan Shearer. And despite all that, he's still at St James' Park.

1) Roy Keane
Keano became public enemy number one in Ireland in the summer of 2002, when he stormed out of the national team's World Cup training camp in Saipan, angered by the shambolic nature of the squad's preparation. Having told manager Mick McCarthy to "stick it up your b******s", it looked like Keane had earned his last cap, but two years later, after McCarthy had left the post, the tough midfielder pulled on the green shirt once more.