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Breakout stories in the English Premier League are usually focused on younger talents. There are easily a couple of names at each of the 20 clubs in the English top-flight who are young and labeled as "the next big thing." However, age can be defied in two ways.
Young prodigies do it all the time by being too mature or too advanced for their age. Then there are the older ones, who seem to have stopped aging and continue their trade with utmost dedication. However, not all Old is Gold.
The Premier League is not the most comfortable retirement destination in Europe
There is always the right time to call it quits even if it's the game you adore the most. Once that time is over you just linger on in limbo, forgotten. The Premier League is also not devoid of such individuals who are past their prime (exceptions are always there) and just probably hanging around for whatever sum.
Here's a look at five of the oldest players this season in the Premier League in increasing order of their ages:
#5 Thiago Silva - 37 years and 3 days
The only non-goalkeeper on this list. Thiago Silva is the exception mentioned earlier. He came to the Premier League as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain last season, with Frank Lampard in charge of Chelsea.
The veteran centre-back took almost no time to settle with the Blues and there is enough care being provided to keep him fit throughout the season. Since arriving, Silva has made 26 appearances for the west London club in the Premier League. He has also found the back of the net on three occasions.
His dream of winning the Champions League became a reality last year and he played a pivotal role in Thomas Tuchel's plans. Initially the Brazilian arrived only for a one-year spell but agreed on the option to extend his stay in London.
Silva has started the ongoing Premier League campaign quite brilliantly. He's proven a great threat in set-piece situations and has marshaled the back-line with great ability.
#4 Michael McGovern - 37 years and 75 days
He might not be a name many in England remember today but they love him in Northern Ireland. Michael McGovern, for the better part of his career, served as a goalkeeper in the Scottish leagues. He began his senior career with Celtic in 2004 but didn't get to play a serious role in the squad until 2009 when he joined Ross County.
Currently. McGovern is employed at Norwich City who have made a comeback to the Premier League this year. The Canaries extended his contract last year which saw him earn promotion to the top-flight along with his team.
Norwich boss Daniel Farke has always admired the Irishman for his preparation for games, even though he knows he's not starting. Last year in the Championship McGovern proved to be a fitting substitute for Tim Krul. But in Krul's presence, he is most likely to warm the bench in the Premier League
His most notable performances have come in the Northern Ireland shirt. At Euro 2016, the goalkeeper's heroics proved crucial for his nation, which led to Northern Ireland qualifying for the Round of 16.
#3 Andy Lonergan - 37 years and 341 days
Everton are Andy Lonergan's third Premier League club in the last four years and at his previous two clubs he's seen both extremes of the league table. He's been at the summit with Liverpool in 2019-20 and the following season with West Bromwich Albion he was in relegation territory.
Lonergan has always been a good Championship level goalkeeper at best. His inclusion in the aforementioned Premier League sides and now Everton are due to last minute injuries to their first-choice goalkeeper and a shortage of backups. Lonergan is yet to make a Premier League appearance.
Luckily he made the bench for Liverpool in 2019 in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup, and from the sidelines won two major honors.
Preston North End, the club where the goalkeeper started his career, will always be dear to him. He stayed there for 11 years and collected player of the year awards in three categories. It remains to be seen if Lonergan decides to end his careet at Preston.
#2 Ben Foster - 38 years and 175 days
The only goalkeeper on this list who is still in the contest to be the first-choice keeper at his present club. Ben Foster is in some sense a veteran of the Premier League.
He had been with Manchester United since 2005, but was given his first start in the Premier League by loan club Watford in 2007. After seven long years of service to West Bromwich Albion, he joined back Watford in 2018.
Foster has made 365 appearances in the Premier League and has kept 85 clean sheets in that time. At 38, he's still keeping himself up to pace and gave assuring performances against Norwich City in the Premier League and Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.
Manager Xisco Munez has been full of praise for the Watford keeper. With an injury to their first-choice Daniel Bachmann, Foster will look to continue his run in the starting eleven.
#1 Lee Grant - 38 years and 241 days
Here is the oldest of them all! Lee Grant is probably staying at Manchester United hoping that some major trophies will come to the club and indeed to his trophy cabinet. After 14 years of Championship and League One football, Grant finally made the move to the Premier League in 2016 with Stoke City.
To Grant's credit, he put in a string of impressive performances for the Stoke City outfit and as a result won their Player of the Season award. In 2018 he joined Manchester United and has made a mere two appearances for them, one in a Europa League match and one in the League Cup.
In an interview with Manchester United's website, the goalkeeper expressed his satisfaction and was happy to be a part of United's setup. Grant said he was happy that the Academy gave him the opportunity to coach on a few occasions.
The goalkeeper is surely keen to pursue a career in coaching and it is not difficult to see that being at United is really allowing him to explore those options.
