Renaissance men: 3 Premier League outcasts thriving again in Ligue 1
Few divisions in football can break a career like the Premier League.
As physically demanding as it is fast paced, the English top flight has made superstars on other shores appear ordinary during spells that have marred many a CV.
Across the Channel in France, a trio of players maligned while playing in England have relished career-defining campaigns in Ligue 1, and it's no coincidence that the league is enjoying a banner year courtesy of their contributions.
Here's a look at three players who were mired by erratic tenures in the Premier League only to excel this season in France:
Radamel Falcao (Monaco)
For the first time since 2003-04, Monaco is in the Champions League semi-finals and threatening to snatch the Ligue 1 crown from four-time defending champ Paris Saint-Germain.
While teen talent Kylian Mbappe, pacey winger Thomas Lemar, do-everything Fabinho, and crafty creator Bernardo Silva hog many of the headlines, Radamel Falcao is enjoying a consistent and career-defining campaign at the Stade Louis II.
Related - Radamel's Redemption: Falcao is football's quiet comeback
Just 15 months after suffering what then-Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink called a "very serious" thigh injury, the 64-time capped Colombian international has turned his back on that, an ACL tear in 2014, and two dreary loan spells in England to star this season for Les Monegasques.
In 36 appearances whilst on loan with United and Chelsea, the River Plate-raised striker bagged a scant five goals.
This year, Falcao was named captain by Leonardo Jardim, and has tallied 19 Ligue 1 scores with an additional five on the continent, not the least of which were a brace against Manchester City and the match-winner two weeks ago against Borussia Dortmund.
Mario Balotelli (Nice)
Few players in Europe's top leagues needed a bounce back campaign more than Nice striker Mario Balotelli.
When the Italian joined Les Aiglons on the last day of the summer transfer period on a one-year deal, it was a move that had the feeling of a first last chance.
After a once-prodigious career witnessed stops at Manchester City, AC Milan, and Liverpool that were noted as much for his performances on the pitch as for his behaviour off of it, Balotelli, 26, arrived at the Allianz Arena desperate for a season where he could let the football do the talking.
Often maligned for immature acts, Balotelli became a veteran on Lucien Favre's young third-place squad, and for the first time in years, the fiery forward again resembles one of the continent's best.
On Sunday, Balotelli scored his 14th league goal of the campaign in a win over title-chaser Paris Saint-Germain, matching his career-best total from 2013-14 with Milan. The 18 starts he's made in France's top-tier are the most since that standout season at the San Siro.
Related - Prandelli: Balotelli 'does not have the objective' to be world's best
A rebirth that speaks to patience and commitment, Balotelli is not without his doubters. He also has droves of support, and, sometimes, those backers and skeptics are one in the same. For a player who is letting others do the talking, it could be a lot worse, and for Balotelli, it has been.
Florian Thauvin (Marseille)
While the two aforementioned names have earned plaudits this season on the continent and beyond, Marseille flanker Florian Thauvin's efforts are going largely unnoticed on English banks.
Still on Newcastle's books after joining the Magpies from Marseille, Thauvin, 24, returned to the Stade Velodrome on a season-long loan after spending the second-half of last campaign on a south-coast sojourn.
After Olympique finished 13th last season, its worse standing since the turn of the century, there is renewed optimism at Marseille, and Thauvin has played a massive part.
His 15 Ligue 1 goals are second in the squad to Bafetimbi Gomis - whose 17 tallies also come after an up-and-down tenure in the Premier League - and his seven assists mean the winger is tops on Marseille for involvement in scoring. Didier Deschamps has taken note as well, with Thauvin earning a maiden Les Bleus call-up for a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg in March.
This season, Marseille sits sixth, one point adrift of Bordeaux and a coveted Europa League slot with three matches to play, and with a clause in his current loan deal for a permanent switch, Thauvin may very well continue to play a vital role in the storied side's renaissance.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)