7 Top strikers who moved to lesser leagues in the twilight of their careers

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Orlando City SC v Los Angeles Galaxy
Orlando City SC v Los Angeles Galaxy

Staying at the top of your game as a striker is an extremely difficult task. The demands of the position are immense and not always does one get the requisite protection from bad fouls. Many-a-careers have been destroyed as a result of terrible injuries. Once a striker shows signs of slowing down, he invariably has only two options: retirement or moving on to the lesser leagues. Here’s a list of strikers who switched to lesser leagues in the twilight of their career.

Note: This list excludes players who moved to China or the Middle East during their peak years on a lucrative contract.


#7 Raul Gonzales

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Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzales Blanco moved to Qatari side Al Saad (now home to FC Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez) following the expiry of his contract with the Bundesliga giants Schalke in June 2012. He made his debut against Mesaimeer. He guided Al Saad to their first title in 5 years scoring 12 goals in 34 appearances in his first season in Qatar.

His second season with the club was rather underwhelming as he could score only 4 goals in 27 appearances and he announced that he would retire at the end of the season in March 2014.

Raul, however, returned to professional football in the North American Soccer League with New York Cosmos. He made his debut the 1-0 win against Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a club partly owned by his former strike partner at Real Madrid, Ronaldo. Raul scored four times and helped his club clinch the spring season championship. He then scored the winner in a come-from-behind victory against Fort Lauderdale in the semi-finals of the Soccer Bowl. The Cosmos then defeated Ottawa Fury in the final and Raul communicated his decision to retire.

#6 Didier Drogba

Didier
Didier Drogba

MLS side Montreal Impact signed Didier Drogba as their ‘Designated Player’ in July 2015. He made his debut in August against Philadelphia Union in a 1-0 loss. On his first start in the MLS scored the ‘perfect hat-trick’ scoring a goal with either foot and a header against Chicago Fire in a scintillating 4-3 win. He has voted as the MLS Player of the month for September scoring 7 goals in 5 games. Drogba scored both goals in a 2-1 win in the Canadian Classique against Toronto FC, guiding the Impact to the Eastern Conference semi-finals where they were eliminated by Columbus Crew. He finished the season with 11 goals in 11 games.

In March 2016, the Impact announced that Drogba wouldn’t play the matches played on artificial surfaces due to fears of a potential knee injury. Drogba was included in the MLS All-Star game against Arsenal FC and scored (as he always did) in a 2-1 loss.

In October, Drogba refused to play the match against Toronto and asked his name be removed from the squad following his exclusion from the starting line-up. He did not travel with the squad but attended the Impact’s next game against DC United. He scored 10 goals in 22 matches in a rather unfruitful season for the Impact.

In April 2017, Drogba signed with and bought the USL (Division II) side, Phoenix Rising, making him the first player-owner in Football history. Over the course of two seasons, Drogba has scored 11 goals in 16 games for the club.

#5 Dimitar Berbatov

Di
Dimitar Berbatov

After a solitary season with French powerhouse AS Monaco, former Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspurs and Bayer Leverkusen star Dimitar Berbatov joined Greek side PAOK for the 2015-16 season. He made 25 appearances for the Greeks scoring 5 goals.

Having gone a full season without a club, Berba joined Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters, managed by former United Assistant Manager Rene Meulensteen. signing a season-long deal reportedly worth £900,000. He made 9 appearances for the South Indian outfit scoring one goal against Atletico de Kolkata.

#4 Wayne Rooney

Wayne
Wayne Rooney

Manchester United cancelled Wayne Rooney’s contract (they’ve made quite a habit of this!) to allow him to move to boyhood club, Everton FC. However, it wasn’t to prove to be the return of the prodigal son as Rooney lasted only a season at the Toffees and signed a three-and-half-year contract with MLS club DC United in June 2018.

Rooney made his debut in a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps as a substitute assisting a goal. The same match saw the unveiling of the side’s new home stadium, Audi Field. He scored his first goal for the club, a thumping winner past former United teammate Tim Howard in a 2-1 win against the Colorado Rapids. He has since scored another 4 goals taking his tally to 5 for the season in 14 games. He was given the captain’s armband 3 games into the season.

#3 Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry

Despite winning the treble, his powers seemed to be waning in 2008-09 but the rise of winger Pedro Rodriguez, currently at Chelsea, in the 2009-10 season was the final nail in the coffin of former Monaco star and Arsenal FC legend Thierry Henry's FC Barcelona career.

He moved stateside, joining Eastern Conference’s New York Red Bulls in July 2010 and debuted against Houston Dynamo, assisting both goals scored by the new arrival and fellow Designated Player Juan Pablo Angel in a 2-2 draw.

He scored his first MLS goal in a 2-0 win against San Jose Earthquakes. Though the Bulls topped the Eastern Conference, they bowed out of the MLS Cup Playoffs as a result of a 3-2 loss to San Jose. Henry scored 2 goals in 12 games for the Bulls.

In 2011, Henry had a great season on a personal level, scoring 15 goals in 29 appearances. However, the Bulls, as a team, performed badly and finished outside the Play off-places.

In March 2012, Henry scored his first MLS hat trick in the 5-2 win over Montreal Impact and was named MLS player of the month. In October, Henry scored two and also provided two assists in a 5-2 win over Chicago Fire as the Bulls finished the regular season as Champions. The Superior Cup was the Bulls’ first major trophy in their history. Henry finished the 2013 season with 10 goals from 30 games.

Henry became the Bulls’ highest assist provider when he scored one and provided assists for all other goals in a 4-1 win over Columbus Crew. Just the previous one, Henry finished the 2014 season with 10 goals from 30 games.

He left the club in December 2014 and announced his retirement a fortnight later. He joined Sky Sports as a pundit. He has since left his job with the broadcaster to concentrate on his coaching career. He accepted the position of assistant to Belgium manager Roberto Martinez in August 2016. He was reportedly offered the vacant managerial position at French club Bordeaux but declined it due to differences with the Board.

#2 David Villa

David Villa
David Villa

After guiding Atletico de Madrid to their first La Liga title since 1996 in his only season with the club scoring 13 goals in 36 games in the 2013-14 season breaking the hegemony of local rivals Real Madrid and former club FC Barcelona, David Villa became the first player to join the newly formed New York City FC as their Designated Player. The club handed him his preferred number 7 jersey and Villa was later named first captain of the team.

After a small stint with sister club Melbourne City FC playing four games to maintain fitness, he scored the club’s first ever goal in a friendly against Scottish club St. Mirren. On the club’s competitive bow, he assisted a goal against fellow newcomers Orlando City in a 1-1 draw. He scored his first goal for the club at their home stadium, Major League Baseball’s New York YankeesThe Yankee Stadium, in a 2-0 win against New England Revolution.

In the home game against Toronto FC, he missed a spot-kick but scored a brace in a thrilling 4-4 draw. He was selected in the MLS All-Star game against Premier League side Tottenham Hotspurs and scored the winner from Ricardo Kaka’s assist in a 2-1 win. In his first season at the club, Villa scored an impressive 18 goals in 30 games but NYCFC failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs.

At the start of the 2016 season, former Arsenal, Juventus, and Inter Milan defensive midfielder Patrick Vieira was named as the head coach of the club. Vieira’s appointment, along with some smart moves in the draft, set NYCFC on their way to a stellar campaign in which they qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time.

Villa had a lion’s share in the club’s surge to the top with 23 goals in 33 appearances as he clinched the Most Valuable Player Award. NYCFC, however, lost to Toronto in the semi-finals of the MLS Cup.

In the 2017 season, Villa was again selected and started for the All-Star game against former El Classico rivals Real Madrid, the match ended 1 goal apiece in regular and extra time with Real prevailing 4-2 in the ensuing shootout. On 6th August, Villa scored his first MLS hattrick in the Hudson River Derby against local rivals New York Red Bulls in a 3-2 win. Villa ended his campaign with 22 goals as City crashed out Eastern Conference semi-finals against Columbus Crew.

In April 2018, Villa scored a brace against Dallas FC and recorded his 400th career goal (club and country combined). He has scored 11 goals in 19 games in the 2018 season.

#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Another player whose contract was terminated by Manchester United in order to facilitate a move away from the club, Zlatan signed with LA Galaxy in March 2018. Named on the bench against Los Angeles FC in the El Trafico derby as the crowd chanted ‘We want Zlatan!’, he came on as a substitute, famously scoring a 45-yard screamer and an injury-time winner in a 4-3 win.

After the match, he typically and pompously said, ’The crowd wanted Zlatan, so I gave them Zlatan!’. He scored twice against FC Dallas in a 3-2 loss. In the aftermath of the match, he criticised the club for letting in too many goals every game.

He scored braces against Real Salt Lake and San Jose Earthquakes and netted a penalty against Columbus Crew. He scored his first MLS hat trick in the 4-3 win against Orlando City. In September, he scored a characteristically acrobatic goal, his 500th for club and country.

Read about 6 top midfielders who switched to the lesser leagues in the twilight of their careers here.


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Edited by Rohit Nath