FWIW, I don't think that one was even using any kind of modern AI. The bizarre phrasing is characteristic of the article having been run through a "spinner" tool which randomly substitutes words or phrases for synonyms, without any regard to context -- which is how it ended up saying he "handed away" (passed away) after having played as an "ahead" (forward). These tools have existed since the late 2000s, but were mostly used by SEO spammers.