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For a long time now, the top five European leagues have been the epicenter of football entertainment for fans across the globe. Regional leagues from all over play a significant role in promoting the sport and nurturing talent at grassroots level but eventually everyone returns to catch action in Europe.
As a player yourself, your eyes glitter at the first opportunity to play for a big club in one of these top leagues. With shrewd recruitment strategies, clubs bring players from relatively unknown clubs to the forefront of top Champions League clubs.
But we have seen that as players age and struggle to keep up with the intensity of top levels, they choose a retirement destination and make a profit on their name. Of course, there are examples all around Europe of top footballers who are well past an age and yet are top competitors and consistent performers.
Sometimes harsh injuries also take away the best version of a player in their prime and a career that's expected to flourish never reaches or crosses the ceiling. Many such names have made it to the headlines in non-European leagues after stellar performances.
Here are five top players stacking impressive numbers in non-European leagues at the moment:
#5 Ever Banega
When football fans look back at Ever Banega's career in Europe, there will be mixed opinions regarding his potential. For many, he would have achieved and performed to what was his best, while for others a certain untapped potential still remained latent.
He won three Europa League titles during his tenure with Sevilla and a Copa del Rey with Valencia. The Boca Juniors prodigy has been a largely controversial figure. He broke the COVID-19 protocols to enjoy a barbecue with his team-mates when the pandemic was raging and in his time at Valencia he was involved in a sex-scandal.
Despite the controversies, Banega has had spells where he has been the chief conspirator in planning attacks from midfield and keeping his teams on the attacking front. The Argentine has been plying his trade with Al-Shabab FC in Saudi Arabia.
He has scored 10 goals and provided 17 assists for the club since joining them in 2020. Banega has been a regular match-winner for his side, producing various moments of quality. Nothing's changed about the Argentine, not even his temper as he has picked up two reds and eight yellow cards in just 39 appearances.
#4 Andre-Pierre Gignac
Footballers leaving renowned clubs chasing personal glory and making a name for themselves is not a new phenomenon. But if you have cracked the secret to making it big in Ligue 1 with various European giants looking for your signature, your next move is majorly anticipated.
It was his unpredictability that made many fall in love with Andre-Pierre Gignac, the decision to walk the 'road less traveled' to put it rather poetically. After a dazzling 21-goal season with Marseille in Ligue 1, the French striker did not listen to offers from European clubs or extend his stay.
Instead, he moved 6000 miles west, to Monterrey, Mexico. Tigres UANL had already embraced the French due to this gesture before he even scored a single goal for them . The big man up top had left his comfort zone with the aim of taking a wildly different footballing culture by storm.
Since his arrival in Mexico, Gignac has scored no less than a record 153 goals in 270 appearances and brought a total of nine titles to the club. The France international has been nothing short of a legend, scoring in three CONCACAF Champions League finals.
#3 Hulk
The Marvel Cinematic Universe's Hulk had one motto, and he aptly exasperated, "Hulk, Smash!". The Brazilian Hulk has a motto of his own: "Hulk, Score!". He built a reputation for himself as a lethal goal scorer and has carried it ever since wherever he has gone.
It came as a surprise to many when the striker switched FC Porto for Russian club Zenit St Petersburg. However, it was an even greater shock when he left Russia to go to China and join Shanghai Port even though he was on a whopping pay package of £320,000-per-week. In his four seasons, Hulk was as prolific as anyone, scoring 76 times and assisting 57 times.
For anyone who thought Hulk was finished, the striker has responded with another season packed with great returns, this time for his native club Atletico Mineiro. Since joining the club in March, earlier this year the Brazilian has managed 43 goal contributions in 63 games.
#2 Javier Hernandez
America's Major League Soccer has been a retirement destination for many top European footballers who have competed with the biggest clubs. The prospect of having these star attractions in the USA is hugely exciting and profitable for owners and the league.
One name brought to the league for such a purpose was Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez and this season, he has really come into his own. England, Spain, Germany...Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, the Mexican had worn proud jerseys at various top clubs.
Last season, the demise of his grandfather turned out to be a really depressing episode for him and Chicharito struggled to keep himself mentally healthy. His mental state had a negative effect on his on-field performances. This year, the starman has rebounded and stood triumphant.
In just 21 appearances, the Mexican boasts 20 goal contributions, with just three of them being assists, others, all goals. He is the top-scorer for the Mexican National Team and has admitted that he hopes he gets a call-up due to his dominant performances in the MLS.
#1 Santi Cazorla
If ever there was a newsletter series that featured inspirational stories in football, the comeback of Santi Cazorla would surely make it to the cover page. A cheerful chap and a highly admired figure, fate was extremely harsh on the Spaniard when he suffered one of the most complicated injuries in football.
He played a whole game for Spain against Chile in 2013 with a broken bone. He returned to Arsenal after a short break and was back in action again, however, their were episodes of pain in the same spot. The injury worsened beyond just surgical repair and multiple treatment procedures followed. Cazorla was told to forget that he would kick a ball.
In July 2018, six hundred days after being stretchered off in tears, the Spanish playmaker played his part in a friendly game. At 33, Cazorla was offered a contract by Villarreal in August 2018 and since then he has been an absolute revelation.
He scored against mighty Spanish opposition Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga and finished his season in Spain with 86 appearances, scoring and assisting on 22 occasions respectively. He is now plying his trade at Barcelona manager Xavi's former club, Al-Sadd SC.
The Spanish maestro has been a powerhouse for the Qatari club, registering 23 goals and providing 17 assists in just 43 appearances. At 36, he's still going strong and it's really unfortunate that fate took Cazorla's prime years away from him.
