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Gone are the days when a footballer's ability was determined by his physical stature. The notion of — taller the player, superior the skillset, has been proven wrong by many players with diminutive stature.
Santi Cazorla, Marcelo, Marco Verratti, Lionel Messi and Luka Modric are prime examples of the same. However, shorter players fall behind in a few aspects compared to their taller counterparts.
Aerial duels, defensive abilities, intimidation, etc, are the variables. However, their edge lies in a sudden burst of pace, better dribbling possibilities, and the ability to make sharp turns.
There's no doubt that tall players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kaka among the others have mastered the above-mentioned skills but we cannot deny the fact that they cannot do several things the same way that Lionel Messi or Sergio Aguero do it.
In this article we are about to cover 5 such shortest footballers of all time, shedding light on details such as their height, national team and the club they spent their best days with. The only criteria being - they must have made a fair amount of professional appearances over the course of their careers.
So, without further ado, here we go.
#5 Sammy Lee (England/Liverpool) - 1.57m
Sammy Lee, or, professionally known as Samuel Lee, is one of Liverpool's greatest ever players. Having appeared for a total of 295 games for the Reds, Sammy Lee was known for his passing abilities and long-range screamers.
Lee was also an integral part of Liverpool's domestic and continental rampage during the 80s. The English international laid his hands on 4 Football League First Division Trophies (later renamed the English Premier League), 4 League Cups and 2 European Cups (presently known as the UEFA Champions League).
After his stellar playing stint, Sammy Lee joined Liverpool's coaching staff. He is currently the assistant coach at West Brom and has donned a similar role at Everton, Bolton Wanderers, Southampton and Crystal Palace.
#4 Jafal Rashed Al-Kuwari (Qatar/Al Sadd) - 1.55m
The Qatar-born midfielder Jafal Rashed Al-Kuwari is lauded as one of Qatari team Al Sadd's greatest players ever.
Jafal was widely known for being one of the shortest players ever on a football pitch. That seemed to make no difference though, as he was also the national team and the club's captain.
The 5 feet 1 inch player rose through the ranks of Al Sadd's youth academy before finally establishing himself as one of the major players in the club's history. Being a part of Qatar's 1992 Summer Olympics team, Jafal Rashed Al-Kuwari played his final professional game against AC Milan in 2009.
#3 Marcin Garuch (Poland/Miedź Legnica) - 1.54m
Unlike the former two players on our list, Marcin Garuch — the 1.54m tall player is an active footballer. The Polish international currently plays for his hometown club Miedź Legnica.
Marcin Garuch is widely regarded as the shortest player in Europe. Being a natural right-midfielder, Garuch's ability to boss any part of the midfield has earned him a lot of appreciation.
Although Marcin Garuch hasn't earned a national team call-up, he's been an important figure for his club Miedź Legnica.
#2 Daniel Villalva (Argentina/River Plate) - 1.54m
The 29-year-old attacker from Argentina is the youngest ever player to feature in a league match for the Argentine Primera División side River Plate.
Having shown early signs of professionalism, Daniel Alberto Villalva Barrios was wanted by some of the reputed clubs that include the likes of Boca Juniors, Rosario Central and San Lorenzo.
However, the Argentine international chose to join Los Millonarios due to his admiration for the 36-time Primera División champions. Daniel Alberto Villalva Barrios earned a national call-up ahead of the South American Under-15 Football Championship that was held in 2007. He went on to score 3 goals in that competition.
He also featured for Albiceleste at the 2009 FIFA U/17 World Cup.
#1 Élton José Xavier Gomes (Brazil/Al-Fateh) - 1.54m
Élton José Xavier Gomes was loved equally for his playing style and the afro-hairstyle. The Brazilian never failed to grab the crowd's attention whenever and wherever he played.
The now 35-year-old joined Steaua București back in 2007. Even though he played less than 10 games with the Romanian side, Élton José Xavier Gomes was voted by the fans as a member of Steaua București's best XI of the decade.
Not just the fans, but the management were also in awe of this pint-sized midfielder as well. Moving to UAE, the Brazilian joined Al Nassr. He went on to play for numerous UAE-based teams like Dubai Club, Al-Fateh, Al-Qadisiyah and Al-Wehda. Élton José Xavier Gomes also spent a loan stint with UAE heavyweights Al-Wasl.
At Al-Fateh, Elton's fine run of form made him a regular scorer in the 2012-13 season. In the process, he helped the club win their first ever league title.
