Winning trophies, lifting individual awards and becoming club legends do not always guarantee safety from relegation.
Football history is littered with examples of some of the game’s biggest names suffering the ultimate disappointment of seeing their clubs drop out of the top flight.
World-class players, Ballon d’Or contenders, Champions League winners and Premier League icons have all discovered that individual brilliance alone cannot always rescue a struggling team.
Some rebuilt their careers immediately, winning league titles and major honours elsewhere.
Others remained with their clubs to fight for promotion, while a few saw relegation become one of the defining moments of otherwise glittering careers.
