Longevity is not a word that is often associated with the sport of football. The average footballer breaks into the first squad only after getting into his 20’s and is more often than not deemed either surplus to requirement at a big club by the time he turns 32, thus giving him only a short tenure of 10-12 years in the top flight across the globe.
However, like any other field, football too has had its set of outliers in players who have broken into the first team at their respective clubs and gone to have a career in excess of 20, sometimes even 25 years.
In this segment, we take a look at the 5 superstars, who defied the common belief and played beyond the age of 40.
#5 Francesco Totti
The Italian has established himself as the most popular sportsperson to emerge out of the glorious city of Rome, courtesy of his exploits on the pitch on numerous occasions. The AS Roma captain achieved yet another landmark a few days ago, becoming one of the few players to be a part of the Italian top flight at the age of 40.
However, if his contribution is any indication, it does not seem like Totti is ageing at all, as he continues to score as well as create goals for his teammates to this day. His ability as a goal scorer, as a creator of goals as well as one of the best readers of the game, have etched his name in the glorious chapter of not just Italian football, but global football.
Born on September 27th, 1976, Totti joined Roma at the tender age of 13 and was handed his senior debut 6 months short of his 17 birthday and has not looked back ever since.
Il Bimbo d’Oro (The Golden Boy) has featured more than 750 times for the Italian club across a number of competitions and has yielded a healthy return of 306 goals and numerous assists to help his side gain footballing prominence.
#4 Paolo Maldini
The elegant Italian served as one of the most faithful servants of AC Milan for over 24 years. A product of the Milan youth set up, Maldini broke into the Rossoneri first team at the age of 16, making his debut against Udinese on 20th January 1985.
While he was initially deployed as a right-back his versatility and ability to play on the left side of the pitch soon saw him being shifted to left back, a position he left his imprint upon during his glorious career.
The defender won Serie A on 7 occasions and was also part of the Champions League-winning team 5 times whilst at Milan and laid the solid foundation on which his team’s attack could be built upon to ensure success.
After 902 appearances for his home club town that yielded a number of match-winning performances, Maldini finally hung up his boots at the end of the 2008-09 campaign at the age of 40 years.
The club, in his honour, retired his jersey number 3 to ensure that he remains etched in its memoirs for centuries to come.
#3 Roger Milla
While the Cameroonian striker Roger Milla, continued to flourish in the Indonesian League until he was 44, it is his exploits in the 1990 as well as the 1994 World Cup that has left a lasting impact on the hearts of football fans globally.
Born on 20th May 1952, the Cameroonian was already the best player on the continent of Africa in the 1976 season and was lured to France by Valenciennes the following season.
However, the move did not reap rich rewards due to numerous injuries, but the player truly showcased his abilities when he joined Saint-Etienne after an ill-fated move to Bastia and continued to do so with Montpellier.
However, it was in the 1990 World Cup, held in Italy, where he truly captured the attention of the footballing world with his goal scoring ability, finding the back of the net on 4 occasions to help his side achieve a respectable quarterfinal spot.
While he was unable to replicate the form in the subsequent World Cup, his strike against Russia in the group stages made him the oldest scorer in the history of the World Cup, a record that is yet to be broken.
#2 Ryan Giggs
The Welshman is definitely one of the best players to have graced the Premier League. Having begun his youth career at cross-town rivals Manchester City, Giggs moved to Manchester United as a 14-year-old in 1987 and the rest as they is history.
His abilities on the pitch were unparalleled and he formed an integral part of the dominant United team under Sir Alex Fergusson that tormented teams across the globe.
Born on 29th November 1973, the Welshman bowed out of football at the age of 40 after having amassed a whopping 963 appearances for the Manchester giants and scoring 168 goals in the process; a man who has won everything there is on offer in club football.
While a younger Giggs was full of athleticism and verve, he evolved his game as age caught up with him and remained an attacking threat to the opposition.
Even when he represented his side at the age of 40, he did not look out of place in a game believed to be for the young blood, he was a constant menace to the opposition defence and retained the ability to turn the game on the course of its head.
#1 Sir Stanley Matthews
Nicknamed “The Wizard of Dribbles,” Sir Stabley Matthews remains the only player to have been knighted during his playing career. Born on 1st February 1915, Matthews began and ended his footballing journey at his home club Stoke City.
Though a number of his footballing years were lost owing to the World War, Matthews established himself as one of the best players on the planet with his great close control, incredible dribbling ability as well as pace.
While a number of footballers can succumb to success, Matthews’ disciplined lifestyle ensured that he remained fit for top flight football until his 50s. He was conscious about what he ate, trained rigorously on a daily basis and avoided tobacco and alcohol to prolong his playing career well beyond the average tenure of a footballer.
He made 783 appearances in total for Stoke City and Blackpool during his unbelievably long career that stretched 33 seasons and had a healthy goal scoring record, having found the back of the net on 80 occasions.
His record with the England national team was not bad either, as he featured on 54 occasions for the Three Lions, with his last appearance coming at the age of 42, which serves as a reminder of his abilities as a top class footballer.
