With Kolo Toure looking to resurrect his career at Liverpool following his free transfer from Manchester City, Metro Sport are looking at the top ten stars with a point to prove this season.

Andy Carroll (Picture: Getty)

Andy Carroll (West Ham)

Signed for a club record £15m and handed a whopping pay cheque after a successful(ish) loan spell at Upton Park, so Hammers chiefs will be hoping for a better return on his seven goals last season.

Wayne Rooney (Picture: PA)

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)


Wherever he ends up, the England striker will have to do the business all over again. He certainly isn’t flavour of the month with fans at Old Trafford and will need to convince the new boss of his commitment to the cause. But should he leave, Rooney will need to hit the ground running or risk being branded ‘washed up’.

Gareth Bale (Picture: Getty)

Gareth Bale (Spurs)



Seems ridiculous to suggest the Welshman has something to prove after sweeping almost every individual player’s award last season, but with an £80m value on his head, Bale will be keen to show that he really does deserve to be held up alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the best in the world.

Miguel Michu (Picture: Getty Images)

Michu (Swansea)

Hitting 22 goals in your debut campaign suggests the Spaniard is a striker to be truly feared. But seasoned Premier League observers have seen many a flash-in-the-pan forward come and go, and with only three goals in his last 10 games, Michu will have to do it all over again.

Olivier Giroud (Picture: Getty)

Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)

The £13m Frenchman managed 17 goals and a hatful of assists in all competitions last season, but when the man you’re supposed to be replacing is Robin van Persie, that still didn’t quite cut the mustard for many Gunners fans. If he can build on a campaign of promise, Giroud could become a real star in a defining year for Arsenal.

Luis Suarez (Picture: Action Images)

Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

In the main, the Uruguayan’s past misdemeanours have largely been forgiven/ignored/denied by Liverpool fans, however this summer’s daily ‘come and get me’ pleas to Real Madrid may be slightly harder to wash off. Nothing a few goals and a badge kiss won’t fix, but start badly, and like the man himself – it could get ugly.

Fernandinho (Picture: AFP)

Fernandinho (Manchester City)

Even for City, £34m is a serious price tag for a midfielder with largely only Ukrainian league experience to his name, so the Brazilian will need to adapt quickly if he doesn’t want to disappear into the dark Ethiad depths which the likes of Roque Santa Cruz and Jo almost failed to escape.

Thomas Vermaelen (Picture: Getty)

Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal)

A colossus during his first two seasons in England – now a captain confined to the bench after a host of below-par performances. The centre-back will need to shape up if he’s to save his Gunners career and muscle his way back into the side past Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.

Papiss Cisse (Picture: Getty Images)

Papiss Cisse (Newcastle)

Exploded onto the scene with a host of spectacular goals after signing in January 2012, but lost his way – along with the Magpies as a club – in a dour 2012/13 campaign.

Curtis Davies (Picture: Getty Images)

Curtis Davies (Hull)

Once valued around the £10m bracket, the defender fell from grace during his time at Aston Villa but has made his way back into the Premier League with Hull, via Leicester and Birmingham. At 28, Davies could have the best days of his career ahead of him, and will be keen to fulfil the promise he once showed at West Brom.