Not sure how true are the stories but it does make sense in the long run why this guy didn't play at all for the most part.
Apparently, he was very subpar in training sessions that most of the time he didn't complete training sessions with the main group and was forced to train alone because he struggled with the basics and his technique wasn't very good either and his fitness levels weren't up to par. I somewhat feel bad for him because he's just another Douglas, the guy who won the lottery but is out of his depth at this level.