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The Premier League is one of the world’s best and most competitive leagues and over the last few years, with fitness, health and training regimes becoming more and more refined, we’re seeing players hit their peak later in life and play on for much longer.
Today, you have the likes of Ben Foster, Thiago Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo all playing regularly, well into their late 30s, while a 40-year-old Willy Caballero has even made an appearance this year. But who are the oldest players to have ever played in the division?
Outfield Players
Outfield players don’t tend to last as long in their careers as goalkeepers, certainly without dropping down a league or two. However, there are a number who have managed to stay at the top level.
The only one to make it into the top 10 oldest players to play in the Premier League is Teddy Sheringham, a man who won it all as a player and is still thriving now he’s hung up his boots. Teddy played in the Premier League until he was 40, making his final appearance against Manchester City when he was 40 years and 272 days old.Â
Since then, he’s become a real pro when it comes to gambling, he’s no stranger to online casino sites like 777 starring in a number of major casino game tournaments in which he’s picked up hundreds of thousands in prizes.Â
Interestingly, another man who was regularly seen on nights out in casinos and nightclubs during his career is Ryan Giggs. He changed his lifestyle as he got older, famously taking up yoga and playing on for Manchester United until 40 years, five months and seven days.Â
Other outfield players that have been playing into their 40s includes Kevin Phillips and Gordon Strachan, while Bryan Robson was just a day short of his 40th birthday when he made his final Middlesbrough appearance as player manager.
Goalkeepers
Goalkeepers naturally tend to play on longer and even in the Premier League today you’ll find a number in their mid-to-late 30s.
The top 10 oldest players to have ever played in the division are all in the position apart from Teddy Sheringham, with the oldest John ‘Budgie’ Burridge who played his final game in the English top flight for Manchester City against QPR back in 1995.
At the time he was 43 years and 162 days old, and at that point was often playing as cover, for which he was for Tony Coton at the Blues.Â
It’s a record that has stood for some time and somewhat eclipses second place, Alec Chamberlain who got a final moment to say goodbye to the Watford faithful as he replaced Ben Foster to come on for the final minute of the 2006/07 season before retiring aged 42 years and 327 days.
A number of other goalkeepers also enjoyed minutes aged 42, including Coventry legend Steve Ogrizovic, the great Brad Friedel, who was still very much at the top of his game when he retired and Mark Schwarzer, the man who made more Premier League appearances than any other non-Brit.
Neville Southall was just a few months short of his 42nd birthday when he made his final appearance for Bradford in the year 2000, while Kevin Poole, Jens Lehmann and Edwin van der Sar, who was still first choice at Manchester United, played his last game in 2011, lifting the Premier League title as he did so.Â
Of course, a number of players now have the chance to break that barrier, although none will do so this season. But could we see the likes of Ben Foster or Kasper Schmeichel do so in the years to come? Perhaps…
Written by Ketan Patel
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