Football as a career majorly lasts and average of 15 years, depending on may factors and circumstances, some players hardly spend up to 10 years as a result of life threatening or career ending injuries.
Despite these and many other factors that shorten and affect footballers, there are a select few who managed to break the barrier of nature. These players played well beyond the 35 years age mark which is usually when majority call it time on a career that stretches back into their teenage.
In this write up, we take a look at some of them who played into age 40.
RYAN GIGGS
Position: Midfielder
Country : Wales
Ryan Giggs was Manchester United midfielder who held his stuff at the Old Trafford from 1990 till 2014 with over 670 appearances for the Red Devils scoring over 114 goals in total all within 24 years.
He played all his career for Manchester United and the Welsh national team before retiring in 2014 at the age of 40. He won the English Premier League 13 times and 4 FA Cup titles. He currently manages the Welsh national team.
FRANCESCO TOTTI
Position: Forward
Country: Italy
Totti is the world famous one-team man who played all his career for the Rome club, As Roma, making over 600 appearances and scoring 250 goals in total between 1992 and 2017.
Despite having arrays of interest from teams across Europe including the Creme De La Creme, he chose to stay at the Sadio Olympico. He won the Seria A title once and the Coppa Italia twice as he became the team’s record appearance holder, Rima Greatest players and Second highest goal scorer in Italian football.
He also won the FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team in 2006 and made a Euro Final in 2000.
JAVIER ZANETTI
Position: Defender
Country: Argentina
Another player who played as though he would never retire, Javier Zanetti joined Inter Milan in 1995 and played for them till 2014 making over 600 appearances.
He wore a special armband that had the names of all the players he played with at the club. He also featured for Argentina making 114 appearances for the Le Albiceleste.
PAOLA MALDINI
Position: Defender
Country: Italy
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Another Italian on this list, the AC Milan who played across three decades from 1984 till 2009 making over 600 appearances as well scoring 28 goals from the defensive position.
Overall he made 900 official appearances for the Milan club retiring at the end of 2008/2009 as a 40 year old
ROGER MILLA
Position: Forward
Country: Cameroon
Roger Milla is the Oldest goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup after his feat at the 1994 edition in USA but four years before then at Italia 1990 where he had scored four times.
Milla retired 1994 after 102 appearances scoring 28 goals for the indomitable lions albeit he had less glamorous club career compared to the rest on the list.
Honorable mentions include: Kuziyoshi Miura and Faryd Mondragon
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