The word ‘loyalty’ in football, is at a premium. One club men are as rare as watching a shooting star. ‘Grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ is proverb used by pundits, journalists and commentators more than ever, and justifiably so.
But, there are those who still are synonymous with their club. Players fans can sing about, without having to be worried for it to come back and bite them in a collection of memes by a Youtube channel hosted by your rivals (read Dimitri Payet). There are those, who can stamp for completing their careers at their current home (adopted or otherwise).
In the upcoming list, we look at ten players who in all probability will finish their careers at the club they are at.
Honourable mentions - Philip Lahm, Francesco Totti, Gerard Pique, Andreas Iniesta and Gianluigi Buffon.
#10 Manuel Neuer
For many, the best goalkeeper in the world. The German international started his career at boyhood club, Schalke 04 for a period of five years during which he captained the Westphalia club to a Champions League semi-final.
In 2011, he was bought by Bayern Munich for a fee of €22 million, making him the second most expensive goalkeeper in history. Since then, the shot-stopper has won four Bundesliga titles, three DFB Pokal Cups, two DFL Super Cups, one UEFA Champions League and one FIFA Club World Cup.
During his time at the with the Bundesliga, he has improved his game to the level that he is considered by many as revolutionary with the sweeper keeper role. He extended his contract till the year 2021 last year April, which will keep him at the club until the age of 35 years.
It is safe to say, that Bayern will not let him go until he has to. A perfect heir to a certain Oliver Kahn.
#9 Harry Kane
To many, this would be a long-shot especially with the Englishman just 23-years-old. Harry has been with the London club since the year 2008 and has come up through the ranks.
To many, his breakout season was a fluke, a flash in the pan. But, since then he has proved his doubters as wrong as wearing green trousers. The England international has scored 21 and 25 goals in his first two seasons in the Premier League and has already amassed 14 this term.
So coming back to his future, he had previously told the press, “I want to be here for a long, long time”. That was after scoring a winner against their arch rivals Arsenal. Also, that chant, “He’s one of our own, he’s one of our own”, got to make you feel good.
Given the fact that Spurs have improved incredibly in the last three years, and they have a group of special young players who are very well managed by Mauricio Pochettino, it is more than likely that they will be able to keep their crown jewel at the White Hart Lane.
The romance is already there, it is just the words that are needed to make his story legendary.
#8 Sergio Busquets
Probably from the time Pep Guardiola has left Barcelona, Sergio has been linked with the now Manchester City manager’s current club. Now, the rumours are that he is going to City to shore up that midfield, which to me is what Gary Neville refers to as ‘rubbish’.
The Spain international, a La Masia graduate has been at Barcelona for all his career and is probably the most important player to their system after the Lionel Messi. Plus, the fact that he loves the club as much as Gerard Pique does (in case you didn't know, that is the litmus test).
He signed a new contract with the Catalan giants, keeping him at the club till 2021, with the option of extending it to 2023. “Busquets is fundamental to our team, he's essential, and as time goes by he will be even more so,” said captain Andreas Iniesta in 2016.
#7 Laurent Koscielny
The importance of Koscielny to Arsenal was advertised in those fifteen minutes at Bayern when the Frenchman went off injured and Bayern Munich walked through their backline to score three goals.
Koscielny is not given credit to the echelons that his performances often deserve for mainly two reasons. One, because he plays for Arsenal, a team who have the tendency to shoot themselves in the leg over and over again, two he is not the most vocal of players.
But, that doesn’t change the fact that he is integral to the Gunners and what they do. The latest contract he signed, will keep the Frenchman at the club for a period of four more years (till he turns 35).
Given the fact that Arsenal tends to offer one-year extensions to players above the age of 30, that is some vote of confidence. Plus, with Arsene Wenger set to stay at the club forever, Laurent doesn’t need to worry about anything apart from covering for his fellow central defender.
#6 Sergio Ramos
It is incredible how Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, has gone on to become Mr Real Madrid. There are only a few players who have played for the Los Blancos who can claim to have never been booed by his own fans.
The former Seville man is one of them. He has been synonymous to what the club has gone on to achieve in the last few years, single headedly turning up at the most important of occasions (read Champions League finals), and pulling his team through from the jaws of defeat.
Given the fact that he seems to be getting better with age, he is there to stay and stay forever.
#5 Paul Pogba
This is a controversial one. There are a lot of people who would disagree with me due to the fact that he has Mino Riola as agent, and he has done it before, but according to me, Paul Pogba is at Manchester United to stay.
Having risen through the ranks, the French International won the FA Youth Cup at United, before leaving for Juventus due to lack of game time under Sir Alex Ferguson. But, since then he has come back for a world record fee, and has said all the right things and probably has done all the right things.
“I have United in my heart. It's my house. When I left I always knew that I would come back. For me, it's just normal. It's like I went on holiday and just came back. Seriously. Nothing really changed. I'm the same person”, and all is well in Mourinho's red army.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo
Sigh. Okay, here me out, will you? There is no doubt about the fact that Cristiano is an icon of the game, and player quite unparalleled in history. He has, in the past, repeatedly flirted with a move back to Manchester United and never closed the door on MLS.
But, with the way he plays (still), and the way he takes care of his body, it is highly unlikely that he will wane away. It will most likely be him going out on his own conditions, where he can satisfy his own ego.
The problem though is that no one satisfies Cristiano’s ego as well as Real Madrid. The best club in the world, the best players and you being the leader of the best? Why would he leave? In 2016, he signed a new contract with Real, keeping him at the club till 2021. He has repeatedly said that he might end his career in the famous white jersey, so why not right?
#3 Claudio Marchisio
If there was a player who was synonymous with the phrase unsung her, it has to Juventus captain Claudio Marchisio. The Italian international has probably suffered from being a very good player at doing a lot of things rather than being extremely good at one.
Claudio, who has been with the Serie A champions from 1993, is a mainstay in their midfield and has truly taken on the mantle since a certain Andre Pirlo left Turin. He has been the only constant through a flux of change.
“ I'm truly delighted to be able to wear the shirt I've always wanted to wear. Having Juventus in my heart gives me all the energy I need in training and matches” when someone speaks about their club like he does, you can’t really argue, can you?
#2 Dimitri Payet
“We’ve got Payet, Dimitri Payet! I just don’t think you understand. He’s Super Slavs man, he’s better than Zidane. We’ve got Dimitri Payet!” was sung so wholeheartedly by the West Ham supporters in his first season in London, that manager Slaven Bilic was also filmed singing with the fans.
Alas, things have turned sore for the Frenchman since at London. But, one thing which never did turn soar is his relationship with Marseille. On joining the French club in the transfer window, Andoni Zubizarreta, the club’s director called him, “man of strong principle”.
He even took a pay cut to join the former French champions. Add to that, that his family wanted to be at Marseille, it is more than likely that the winger will stay at his ‘home’.
#1 Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi’s stature at Roma is as mythical as the Colosseum. The world cup winner has been at Rome for all of his careers, which includes over 400 appearances for the famous shirt of Roma.
It is quite surprising that the three-time Serie A champions have been able to keep the international back throughout his heydeys when he was without an ounce of doubt one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
Although he is out of contract at the end of the year, and he recently joked that the Roma hierarchy has “lost my phone number”, it is highly likely that he will sign a contract extension, and keep the love story going happy ever after.
