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The Premier League has witnessed a lot of incredible footballers over the years. These are players who set the division on fire with eye-catching displays and achievements at the peak of their careers. Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Frank Lampard are good examples.
Most footballers reach their peak between the ages of 22 and 29. When they cross 30, they start declining as a result of aging. However, there are a few players who defied nature during their time in the Premier League and proved that age is just a number.
At a time when most of their peers were already packing their bags, these players were busy proving to the world that they still had fuel left in their tanks. Without further ado, let's quickly take a look at the five oldest footballers who took part in an official game in the English top-flight throughout history.
#5 Mark Schwarzer (42 years and 159 days old)
Many current Premier League fans will be familiar with Mark Schwarzer as he could be seen playing in the division just a few years ago. The former Australian goalkeeper made several appearances in the English top-flight, representing clubs like Middlesbrough, Fulham and Chelsea, but the game that placed him on this list came for Leicester City in 2015.
At the age of 42 years, five months and eight days, the guardian featured between the sticks for the Foxes in a goalless draw against Hull City. With that appearance, he leaped beyond several names to occupy the fifth spot on the list of oldest players in Premier League history.
#4 Brad Friedel (42 years and 176 days old)
Although he began his career with Liverpool, Brad Friedel is best known for his time with Blackburn Rovers, where he made a whopping 290 appearances in the Premier League. He then moved to Aston Villa before joining Tottenham Hotspur.
He made his record appearance for Spurs in 2013 at 42 years and five months old. Fridel called time on his playing career on July 1, 2015 and eventually made the switch to management. He was appointed as the manager of the New England Revolution but got sacked on May 9, 2015 amid a run of poor results. He is currently without a job.
#3 Steve Ogrizovic - (42 years and 236 days old)
Young Premier League fans won't recognize this man who was one of the top goalkeepers in the division during his prime. Steve Ogrizovic had short spells with clubs like Liverpool, Chesterfield and Shrewsbury Town before joining Coventry in 1984.
He spent 16 years with the Sky Blues and represented them in over 500 games. Before announcing his retirement, the iconic goalkeeper made his legendary last appearance for Coventry in their final Premier League match of the 2000/2001 campaign. Ogrizovic was 42 years, seven months and 24 days old when he played that match, making him the third-oldest player in Premier League history.
#2 Alec Chamberlain (42 years, 327 days)
Alec Chamberlain represented the likes of Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea during his active days on the pitch but surprisingly, he never made a league appearance for any of those elite sides. The former goalkeeper later switched to Watford in 1996 and spent most of his time in the Championship division.
When Watford made their much-awaited return to the Premier League during the 2006/2007 season, Chamberlain was their first-choice option between the sticks. He made multiple appearances for the club that season and got the chance to rewrite history.
His last Premier League appearance came in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United in 2007, coming on as a substitute for Watford at the age of 42 years, 10 months and 23 days. He retired at the end of that season and has successfully become a goalkeeping coach.
#1 John Burridge (43 years, 163 days old)
At the time of this writing, John Burridge holds the record for being the oldest player to participate in a Premier League game. The former goalkeeper made history when he turned up for Manchester City in a thrilling 3-2 loss to Queens Park Rangers on May 14, 1995.
He was 43 years, 5 months and 11 days old when he made that historical appearance for the Cityzens, coming on to replace the injured Tony Cotton at half-time. It's interesting to note that the goalkeeper managed to keep a clean sheet during his 45-minute stint on the pitch.
John Burridge's career lasted almost 30 years. He represented several clubs including the likes of Dunfermline, Newcastle United, Scarborough, Falkirk, Lincoln, Enfield and Aberdeen. He was last seen working as a goalkeeping consultant for ISL club Kerala Blasters.
