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Only a professional football player truly knows when is the right time to call curtains on their career. The game is dear to them and it is essentially the reason behind their identity, but there comes a time when one has to hang his boots. It is a sentimental moment and football fans have witnessed it many times in the past.
When cult heroes and legends say goodbye it provides an opportunity to look back at their journey and reflect on what they offered to the game. Some players etch their names in the history books, while some carve out a special place in the hearts of fans. But in football, money and the market matter as much as feelings do.
More often than not, money and feelings in football do not always tend to be kind to fans and their beliefs. While fans wish to see more of some of their favorite players due to feelings, sometimes they don't command enough respect in the market anymore.
There are, however, scenarios where players have the love from fans to continue at the club and the market sees them as relevant in terms of valuation. We are talking about some of the most renowned names in football. On that note, here are the five most valuable players at the time of their retirement:
#5 Pavel Nedved - €9 million
There were hardly any players who could replace French sensation Zinedine Zidane when he left Juventus in 2001. How do you replace the magician, a Ballon d'Or winner, a legend of the club? Well, you invest in Pavel Nedved and the rest is his job.
Filling the Zidane-sized void was a mammoth task at Juventus and Nedved, without flinching once, carved his own trail instead. Nicknamed 'Furia Ceca' which translates to Czech Fury, he was a force to reckon with in midfield. His movement was fast, graceful yet messy which made defending against him uncomfortable.
The Czech international had one of the most feared shots in Europe. He was able to pull out a thunderous strike from almost anywhere with little room. Nedved was full of creativity and amazing vision which saw him emerge as one of the best playmakers. The Juventus man won the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 2003.
He was tenacious, consistent with both his feet and had great reserves of stamina. After joining the Old Lady, Nedved was included in the UEFA team of the year, three consecutive times between 2003 and 2005. When the Furia Ceca retired in 2009, his market value was €9 million.
In his esteemed career, which spanned over 17 seasons, Nedved made 554 appearances. The prolific midfielder scored 121 goals and provided 75 assists in total. He secured three Serie A, two Coppa Italia, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and one UEFA Super Cup titles.
#4 Willy Sagnol - €9.5 million
The French defender moved from AS Monaco to Bayern Munich for a price tag of €7.7 million in 2000. The German giants came calling for Willy Sagnol on the back of a successful Ligue 1 winning season with Monaco. It was a move that benefitted Sagnol both in terms of his personal stats and adding to his trophy cabinet.
During his time with the two French clubs, Saint Etienne and Monaco, the right-back never registered a goal contribution. That changed in his very first season at Bayern. Sagnol was given a license to move upwards on the flank and contribute in the attacking third.
He was an important part of Bayern Munich's rearguard for eight years. His most prolific season for the Bavarians was the 2005-06 season, where he registered nine assists and one goal in 31 Bundesliga games.
During his final season in 2008-09 Sagnol did not feature in any games and hung up his boots in January. He won a total of five Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokal titles and one Champions League. The Frenchman was a part of France's 2006 World Cup team that reached the finals and was one of the most consistent defenders of the tournament.
#3 Philipp Lahm - €11 million
From one Bayern Munich right-back to another, Philipp Lahm filled in Sagnol's boots perfectly and went the extra mile by cementing his status as a legend. Lahm was nicknamed the "Magic Dwarf" and Pep Guardiola claimed he was "the most intelligent player" the Spaniard had ever coached.
The German displayed his versatality on the field throughout his playing career, playing out of his natural positions as a left-back and even as a midfielder. He had the tendency to cut in from the wide side and find inch perfect passes and it wasn't easy to stop him in his stride.
He set an example since taking on the captaincy of Germany and Bayern Munich about how one should carry themselves both on and off the pitch. Lahm read the game at a greater pace than anyone else on the pitch and hardly had a lapse in judgment.
The legendary right-back captained Germany to their 2014 World Cup triumph and Bayern Munich to their first ever treble in 2013. It was only fair that when he retired, even the market valued him at €11 million. Lahm made a total of 517 appearances for the German giants and won 22 trophies in his career.
#2 Zinedine Zidane - €12.5 million
The skills, the vision, the goals, Zinedine Zidane was simply the definition of poetry in motion roaming around a football pitch. Undoubtedly one of the greatest to ever play the game, when he retired in 2006, he was worth €12.5 million despite spending his last season trophyless.
Zizou's arrival at Juventus saw the limelight move away from Alessandro Del Piero and soon The Old Lady became all about the Frenchman. He guided Juventus to two consecutive Serie A titles and two Champions League finals, albeit losing on both occasions.
He was sublime with the ball at his feet and it was routine for him to wriggle past one, two, or even three men. Zidane was a game changer and until the final whistle had been blown, you couldn't rule out the French legend from impacting the game.
A national hero for his side, Zidane helped the France team win the 1998 World Cup and the Euro 2000. He was named the player of the tournament in the latter tournament. In 2001 he joined Real Madrid for a then club-record fee of €77.5 million.
He retired from the national side in 2004 but returned in 2006 to help a struggling France qualify for the World Cup. He went on to captain them until the finals where he floored Marco Materazzi with his famous headbutt.
In his club career, Zidane made a total of 631 appearances, registering 121 goals and 119 assists. He won a total of 15 trophies in his esteemed career and the Ballon d'Or in 2000.
#1 Andre Schurrle - €20 million
In what will become an example for generations to come and put focus on the mental health and well-being of sportspersons, Andre Schurrle retired at the age of 29. Many players peaked at that age, but the German was experiencing big lows in his life that made him vulnerable.
He was a key player in Germany's World Cup triumph of 2014 and provided the assist for the crucial Mario Gotze goal that helped them win the title. In his international career with the German side, he played 57 games and struck 22 goals.
At Chelsea he won the Premier League and also won the DFB-Pokal with Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund. Schurrle's 16-minute hat-trick for Chelsea against Fulham and his man-of-the-match performance in Arsenal's thumping 6-0 defeat by the Blues were his best moments. The German canceled his contract with Dortmund in 2020 and brought a premature end to his career.
He reminded us all that despite loving the game, it was important to love ourselves more and to seek help in the face of mental health issues. He made a total of 373 appearances in his senior club career and contributed with 86 goals and 51 assists.
