5 top players who are past their prime

It is said that football is a young man's game. Though players like Gianluigi Buffon and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are proving that age is just a number, that is more an aberration than the rule.

Five big-name players who are past their prime

Considering the physicality requirements of the game, most players have about a decade to showcase their skills. Beyond that period, their skills and physical attributes tend to be on the wane.

On that note, let's have a look at five big-name players who are seemingly past their prime.

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#5 Cesc Fabregas | AS Monaco

Cesc Fabregas

Spain have produced a lot of world-class players since the turn of the century. Cesc Fabregas is one who has won two EUROs and a World Cup with La Furia Roja and is still active in Europe.

Fabregas has made a name for himself with his impressive decision-making and passing skills with Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea.

The player, who has 111 assists in the Premier League, was the creator of Andres Iniesta's winning goal for Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final.

Currently, he plies his trade with Ligue 1 side Monaco after joining them in January 2019 on a three-and-a-half-season-long deal. However, he has been intermittently used at the club.

Despite his excellent playmaking abilities, Fabregas has only picked up five assists for his latest employers.

Nevertheless, the 33-year-old player has an impressive trophy cabinet and has won at every club he's started for. However, the UEFA Champions League trophy is conspicuous by its absence in his otherwise trophy-laden career.

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#4 Franck Ribery | Fiorentina

Franck Ribery

Bayern Munich won a lot of trophies in the last decade, including the first-ever treble by a German club in 2013. Though they have always had extraordinary players in their ranks, Franck Ribery stood out because of his consistent performances and his devastating partnership with Arjen Robben up front.

The French player spent 12 years in Munich, where his pace, trickery and vision helped him amass over 120 assists in the Bundesliga.

He peaked in the 2012-13 campaign when his role in Bayern Munich's treble-winning campaign saw him getting nominated on the three-man shortlist for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The 37-year-old winger has lost some of his pace, but his ball control is still immaculate.

Since moving to Fiorentina, the player has scored only three goals across all competitions. He has expressed his desire to move back to Bundesliga recently, but Ribery's best seems to be behind him.

#3 Giorgio Chiellini | Juventus

Giorgio Chiellini has been with Juventus for 16 years.

Juventus have been a force of nature in the Serie A in recent years. Giorgio Chiellini has made a name for himself as a fine defensive player at the Allianz Stadium, with his no-nonsense defending and commanding presence in the defensive third.

Though age has seemingly caught up him, considering his spate of recent injuries, Chiellini remains one of the first-choice defenders for Andrea Pirlo when fit. In the age of ball-playing defenders, Chiellini is one of the best examples of an old-school, tough-tackling centre-half.

Though the Italian player has never been known for his pace, his sluggish at times, can be attributed to his persistent injuries. His style of play also seems unsuitable for the modern game when defenders are judged for their ability on the ball.

He has just 15 appearances to his name across all competitions since last season, and it seems that Chiellini is now well past his prime.

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#2 Sergio Busquets | Barcelona

Sergio Busquets

When it comes to defensive midfielders, few can match the finesse and composure of a peak Sergio Busquets.

The La Masia graduate has won everything with Barcelona and has been delivering crucial performances for the Catalan giants away from the spotlight for the better part of the last decade and a half.

Unlike all other players in this list, the 32-year-old midfielder has been a first-choice personnel at the club, but that might be out of necessity rather than choice.

There is no real replacement for Busquets at Barcelona currently, and because of the ongoing pandemic, the club doesn't seem to have the funds to go search for one.

Though the Spanish player has played over 1100 minutes in the La Liga this term, apart from his commendable 91% passing accuracy, his performances have not been up to par.

For a defensive midfielder, he makes just one interception per game; Casemiro averages twice that, and N'Golo Kante averages three tackles a game.

Busquets' ball-distribution has also taken a hit, as he only creates 0.9 key passes per 90, which only suggests that the player has been on the wane.

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#1 Marcelo | Real Madrid

Marcelo has dropped down the pecking order at Real Madrid.

Once the undisputed best left-back in the world, Marcelo now finds himself warming the bench at Real Madrid.

The Brazilian joined Real Madrid in 2007 and had been an amazing attacking outlet down the left flank for them since.

He has won everything with Los Blancos, and his partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo terrorised defenders across competitions.

However, Marcelo's form took a hit in the 2019-20 campaign, and the player has struggled to make a case for his inclusion in the starting XI.

The arrival of a faster, more technically sound defender in Ferland Mendy at the Santiago Bernabeu has meant that Marcelo played only a bit-part role in Real Madrid's 2019-20 La Liga-winning campaign.

Marcelo's reactions has slowed down significantly in recent times, and the player has struggled for fitness as well.

It is quite apparent that the Brazilian's best days are now behind him.