For some the next 12 months will be huge. We take a look at those who have plenty to prove in 2009.
We look at those who have plenty to prove in the next 12 months
As 2008 draws to a close thoughts are already turning to what awaits in the next 12 months.
For some sporting figures, 2009 will be huge as they look to enhance their reputations, save their careers or merely take the next step towards fulfilling their promise.
We have taken a look at those who have plenty to prove in 2009.
FOOTBALL
2009 is a big year for....Fabio Capello
The time for talking will come to an end on 14th October as England wrap up their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign with a Wembley date against Belarus.
The nation will be hoping that by then a place on the plane to South Africa will have been long since secured, giving them ample time to sweet talk their boss into letting them have a month off work sometime around the middle of June 2010.
Having missed out on Euro 2008, the Three Lions desperately need to rekindle the hysteria which accompanies a major tournament appearance.
Sales of St George flags and extortionately priced replica shirts have taken a pummelling following the failings of Steve McClaren, with the credit crunch hitting sports retailers harder than they would have hoped.
However, a bespecled Italian has helped to bring about a renewed sense of optimism, with football fans from Penzance to Peterlee once again of the belief that England are the best side in the world - regardless of what statistics, results and trophy cabinets might suggest.
The sense of euphoria should come as no surprise, as success has followed Capello wherever he has gone - with titles secured at AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid.
That Midas touch appears to have rubbed off on England's underperforming superstars upon his arrival to these shores, with the side currently looking a class above that which failed so spectacularly in their efforts to reach Austria and Switzerland.
The signs do look promising under Capello but 2009 will provide the litmus test of his leadership and whether he is able to stand the heat of football's hottest managerial seat will determine whether 2010 becomes an even bigger year for the Latin coach, or a time to put his feet up and relax in front of the telly along with the rest of us.
One to watch in 2009....Fabian Delph
There always seem to be some teenage sensation knocking around in England, with unhealthy burdens of expectation placed on shoulders not built to carry such weight.
However, 17-year-old Delph appears well-equipped to handle the 'next big thing' tag, positively revelling in the furore which surrounds him at such a young age.
A combative midfielder with a bit of everything, the Leeds United ace is equally as adept at mixing it up in bone-crunching tackles as he is at spraying Hollywood passes around Elland Road's illustrious surroundings.
Such is his promise that inevitable comparisons have been drawn with the likes of Paul Scholes.
That is some mantle to live up to, but if the noises coming out of West Yorkshire are to be believed then Delph may yet outshine his compatriot from across the Pennines.
He could even step into Scholes' shoes if Sir Alex Ferguson gets his way, with United believed to be among an ever-growing list of admirers.
Arsenal, unsurprisingly given their penchant for talented youngsters, are also keen, while North East giants Newcastle recently had a sizeable approach knocked back by the Whites.
Having already featured in Stuart Pearce's England U21 set-up, it seems only a matter of time before Delph is gracing the Premier League, and should Leeds fail to clamber out of League One this season then his arrival is likely to occur sooner rather than later.
GOLF
2009 is a big year for ... Sergio Garcia
Sergio Garcia finally won a major in 2008, but sadly for him it was the one known as the 'unofficial fifth major' - the Players Championship at Sawgrass. But that victory again underlined the Spaniard's class and ability to win big, although he was to suffer more frustration as he was again pipped into second by Padraig Harrington when it really mattered at the USPGA Championship. However, Garcia maintained that fine form throughout the closing stages of the season and eventually registered another victory, this time over the course he grew up on at the Castello Masters - an event he helped to host with his father. The 28-year-old then went on to win the opening event of the 2009 European Tour season as he prevailed in a play-off with Oliver Wilson to secure the HSBC Champions crown. The triumph was made more significant by the fact it was the first on the European Tour's new-look 'Race to Dubai' format and also took him above Phil Mickelson into second place in the world rankings. The Spaniard is in arguably the form of his life and will be expected by many to finally break his major duck in 2009.
One to watch in 2009.... Chris Wood
Chris Wood put himself into the public consciousness by finishing joint-fifth at the Open Championship in 2008, thus easily claiming the Silver Medal as leading amateur. But that success at Royal Birkdale looks unlikely to be a flash in the pan. His performance convinced the 6ft 5in 21-year-old from Bristol to turn professional and he has already impressed in the paid ranks. After a top-ten finish at the Portugal Masters, he convincingly came through qualifying school to earn his European Tour card for 2009 and has subsequently claimed another top-ten at the South African Open. Wood will realise the hard work starts now as he bids to challenge on a consistent basis with the best players in the world, but with a smooth swing and solid temperament the young Englishman looks capable of big things in 2009.
FORMULA ONE
2009 is a big year for...Jenson Button
Button has long known that next season represents 'crunch time' in terms of career momentum. He scored more points than anyone during the latter stages of the 2006 season but went on to endure two years of utter misery, with Honda first providing him with a car he subsequently labelled 'a dog' and then producing a stop-gap effort in which he fared even worse. Both team and driver had long pinned their hopes on 2009, when it was hoped that, under the auspices of team principal Ross Brawn (appointed in November 2007) they would be able to exploit wholesale regulation changes and move back up the grid. However, Honda's recent decision to pull the plug on their F1 involvement has placed the career crossroads Button faces in an even starker light. Assuming a new buyer is found, then it will be interesting to see how both team and driver can perform and what their close-season travails have cost them relative to their rivals. If no buyer is found, Button will probably have to spend a season on the sidelines. For a driver who has scored a total of nine World Championship points in the two seasons Lewis Hamilton has raced in Formula One, such an eventuality might well bring his career momentum to a juddering halt.
One to watch in 2009...Sebastian Vettel
Breaking age-related records in Formula One seems to have become Vettel's stock-in-trade since he became the youngest driver ever to score a World Championship point on his race debut (aged 19 years and 349 days) for BMW Sauber at the 2007 United States Grand Prix. The next record to go was that of the youngest driver ever to win a race, which Vettel eclipsed (aged 21 years and 74 days) in September's Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Of course, another such record was broken this year when Lewis Hamilton (aged 23 years and 300 days) became the youngest ever winner of the World Championship. Quick application of shaky mental arithmetic reveals that Vettel therefore has two more seasons in which to trump the McLaren Mercedes driver and complete the hat-trick. It has, so far, been a meteoric rise for the young German although, if 2008's results are anything to go by, a switch from Toro Rosso to Red Bull hardly seems the premise for a second race victory, nevermind a World Championship challenge. Still, with the backing of the energy drink brand, the design skills of Adrian Newey and the experience of new team-mate Mark Webber to hand, there's no reason why the potentially talismanic presence of Vettel cannot galvanise the team in much the same way Fernando Alonso did when he first arrived at Renault.
CRICKET
2009 a big year for... Michael Vaughan
The former England captain endured a torrid 2008 and will be hoping the Ashes year of 2009 will be as memorable as the last time Australia arrived in England. Vaughan averaged just 24 for England throughout 2008 and as a result dropped himself and relinquished the captaincy. When he returned to Yorkshire to regain some form, his woes continued and he averaged just 23 runs a match. If he is to force himself back into the reckoning for the Ashes, he will have to score big runs and score them quickly, or else his days as an international cricketer could be over.
One to watch out for ..... Andy Carter
After a string of impressive performances for Nottinghamshire second XI, 20-year-old paceman Carter secured a professional contract at Trent Bridge for this season and looks set for a promising future. Clocked bowling in the mid 80s, and standing at 6ft 6in tall, Carter has the attributes to become a fine fast bowler and 2009 could be the year he makes his move.
RUGBY UNION
2009 is a big year for... Ian McGeechan
Mrs McGeechan might as well write off 2009 as a bad job already and look forward to seeing more of her beloved on the television rather than in the flesh. If looking after Wasps was not enough to keep the former Scotland international busy, there is the small matter of the British and Irish Lions tour to consider. The pressure is on McGeechan to produce the goods for both the Lions and Wasps. Geech oversaw the last tour victory 12 years ago in South Africa - and after the disaster of Sir Clive Woodward's reign in 2005, hopes are high he can make the Lions roar again. However he first needs to turn around the fortunes of Wasps, who, despite winning the Premiership crown in 2008, have struggled this season. With new owner Steve Hayes demanding success, his contract set to expire in the summer and Dean Ryan reportedly already being linked to a return, the 62-year-old could need Wasps to match last season's exploits.
One to watch in 2009.... Leigh Halfpenny
The Cardiff youngster has burst onto the scene in dramatic fashion to force his way into contention for the British and Irish Lions. The 20-year-old has been in free-scoring form for the Blues this season, both in the Magners League and in the Heineken Cup. His free-flowing running is a pleasure to watch, unless you are charged with trying to stop him. Halfpenny made his Wales debut in the autumn internationals and immediately looked at home.
RUGBY LEAGUE
2009 is a big year for ... Celtic Crusaders
The game has gone out on a limb to bring south Wales into the fold and now the Crusaders have to prove they are worth it, because unfortunately plenty of folk from the game's heartlands will be hoping they fail. The new franchise needs to make an impact, not so much on the field, where they will almost certainly struggle, although hopefully they will at least be competitive in all of some games and some of all games. But it is off the field where they will prove whether the experiment is worthwhile. They need to attract decent crowds (5,000 plus would be a success) and genuinely enthuse south Wales with - if not a love for, then at least an interest in - the Greatest Game. That means community work will be crucial. If their struggles on the pitch are matched off it, Crusaders may be on a doomed mission.
One to watch in 2009... Richard Myler
Salford's return to the top-flight will hopefully give Super League fans the chance to see one of the rising stars of the British game. A signing from Widnes, the 18-year-old stand-off impressed so much for the Reds in National League One last season he was called up by England coach Tony Smith prior to the World Cup, making his international debut against Wales. Expect more to come from other youngsters Joe Westerman, Luke Burgess, Craig Hall and Sam Tomkins, too. At the other end of the scale, Steve Menzies' arrival at Bradford will see one of the modern day legends of the game ply his trade in the colours of the Bulls.
TENNIS
2009 is a big year for.... Andy Murray
Murray made a stuttering start to 2008, making an early exit at the Australian Open.
How different things look as the Scot approaches his next trip Down Under.
Following that disappointment in Melbourne, Murray worked hard to improve his physical conditioning and reaped the rewards in the second half of the season, winning back-to-back Masters Series titles and making a maiden Grand Slam final appearance at the US Open where he lost to Roger Federer.
Now firmly established as the world's number four, many are tipping the Scot to break his Grand Slam duck in 2009.
His first chance comes in January at the Australian Open where he should go well but his big chances of a 'Slam' will be at Wimbledon and on his return to Flushing Meadow.
One to watch in 2009 ....Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Tsonga announced his arrival at the top of the game by cutting a swathe through the draw to the final of the Australian Open in January.
He was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the final in Melbourne and further progress was initially stalled by a knee injury that required surgery and forced him to miss both the French Open and Wimbledon.
But he came on strong in the final months of the season with titles in Bangkok and Paris to finish the year at number six in the world rankings.
And the extravagantly gifted Frenchman should be able to use his strong finish to the season as a staging post for bigger things in 2009, providing his body holds up.
His serve, forehand, volleying and athleticism are all among the best in the game and, providing he stays injury free, looks to be a contender to gatecrash the cosy Nadal-Federer-Djokovic club at the top of the rankings.
It was a good year in general for the ATP Tour's rising stars. Tsonga was one of four young newcomers to the top 10 in the year-end rankings along with Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro and Gilles Simon.
SPEEDWAY
2009 is a big year for...Scott Nicholls
Nicholls has made a huge decision in deciding against riding in England.
He has taken the decision because he feels that the British calendar is too crowded and it is hampering his GP ambitions.
With most of the world's top riders doing the same, it would suggest he is right - but the fact the British champion is not competing in England is a huge worry to the sport in this country.
The pressure is now huge on Nicholls to produce the goods and show his decision to quit Britain was justified.
One to watch in 2009 ... Emil Sajfutdinov
World Under-21 champion Emil Sajfutdinov has been admitted into the Grand Prix series for 2009 and everyone is waiting with baited breath to see him in action.
The Russian youngster is looking to put his home nation on the speedway map and at just 19 years-old he has so much to offer the sport.
Having only ever ridden World Cup and youth events in Britain, speedway fans in this country have never seen much of Sajfutdinov and 2009 will offer us all the chance to see him in full flow.
RACING
2009 is a big year for ... Sheikh Mohammed
For the past decade and beyond the most powerful man in racing has put all his ownership eggs in one basket by focusing his racing and breeding operation on his Godolphin vehicle. Not any more.
By purchasing horses and running them in the name of wife Princess Haya, the Sheikh has begun to spread his wings and in 2009 will have more horses in training with John Gosden and French handler Andre Fabre than ever before.
Does it spell the end for Godolphin? Hardly. Their global presence is immense and they remain second only to the all-conquering Ballydoyle/Coolmore operation led by trainer Aidan O'Brien.
However, by coming a distance second in the success stakes over the past 10 years, Sheikh Mo has clearly decided to spread his wings, and the success of Raven's Pass in the Breeders' Cup Classic in the colours of the Princess for trainer Gosden will have provided food for thought.
It will be interesting to see if the Godolphin operation is able to raise its game and compete at the very highest level, while Sheih Mohammed fires his heaviest ammunition from a different stable.
One to watch in 2009.... Rhys Flint
The 17-year-old jockey is starting to make a name for himself and he hit the headlines in December when riding a double at Cheltenham, featuring victory on his father's Fair Along.
Flint has been attached to the powerful West Country stable of Philip Hobbs for most of his young life, making waves as an amateur earlier this year in Point-to-Points.
Since turning professional this season, Flint has partnered 11 winners from 55 rides at a strike rate of 20 per cent, and is widely regarded as the 'real deal'.
In the near-term, look out for the teenager to continue his rise through the professional ranks while in the longer term he looks the ideal successor to Richard Johnson as Hobbs' stable jockey.
What do you think to our selection? Anyone we have missed? Let us know using the form below.
