Brazil have an incredible track record when it comes to producing phenomenal players.

Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho and, most recently, Neymar all began their careers on the streets of South America and eventually became world-class talents.

There's another player who began his career so promisingly but, unlike the aforementioned names, sadly never reached his true potential: Adriano.

The 35-year-old, who is better known amongst football fans for having 99 shot power on Pro Evolution once upon a time, retired last year following an underwhelming career.

It was at Inter Milan in 2004/05 where Adriano really announced himself on the big stage and there were even rumours that he was the heir to Ronaldo's throne.

However, a combination of injuries and personal issues prevented the Emperor from becoming a world beater.

He lasted five years at Inter, during which time he played alongside club legend Javier Zanetti, who has revealed a sad story about why Adriano never really reached his potential.

The death of his father caused Adriano's demise and, despite his teammates' efforts at the San Siro, he was never able to escape the "tunnel of depression". Take it away, Javier.

"When he had the phone call about the death of his father, we were in the room," Zanetti told Tutto Mercato.

"He thumped the phone [back on the hook] and began screaming in a way that one can't imagine. It still shivers me today.

"From that day, Massimo Moratti and I treated him as a younger brother. He continued to play football, scoring and dedicating his goals to his father by pointing to the sky.

"But after that phone call, nothing was the same as before. We weren't able to pull him out of the tunnel of depression. That was my biggest defeat, I felt powerless."

As mentioned, Adriano's teammates were convinced he was the next Ronaldo. Zanetti added: "When he scored that goal at Real Madrid, I said to myself that we'd found the new Ronaldo.

"One night, Ivan Cordoba shared a room with him and told him he was a mix between Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and asked him if he was aware that he would become the world's best."

But it wasn't meant to be. Adriano never recovered from his father's untimely death and after leaving Inter for Flamengo in 2009 played for a further four clubs before retiring.