A list of players who began to shine once again late in their careers, including Chelsea, Sunderland, West Ham and Leicester stars.
Gianfranco Zola of Chelsea battles with Elvis Hammond of Fulham at Stamford Bridge in London.
Past the age of thirty, it's easy to write players off when their performances start to drop. Since the expectation already exists that their bodies won't be able to hold up under the strain, a drop in form can begin to seem fatal for their careers. But the trouble is, most players enjoy good and bad patches of confidence and results. Sometimes a statistical drop is just part of the ebb and flow of a career, not the signal for a terminal decline.
We've put together a list of five players, including West Ham United, Chelsea, Leicester and Sunderland heroes, who have all had the experience of being written off a little too early. Having enjoyed the ups and downs of fortune, and still managed a late career renaissance, these players prove there's always reason to be optimistic when it comes to football.
5. Mark Schwarzer - Chelsea
Mark Schwarzer (L) and Thibaut Courtois of Chelsea prior to the match between Chelsea and Leicester City at Stamford Bridge.
Perhaps it's not entirely fair to describe Mark Schwarzer's time at Chelsea as a true career renaissance – signed on a one year deal in 2013 to provide back-up in goal for Petr Čech, he did exactly that, making twelve appearances across the 2013-14 season mostly in cup competitions. Yet Schwarzer, who had arrived from Fulham after being deemed excess to requirements, managed to cover himself with glory during his brief stint at the club.
An injury to Petr Čech saw Schwarzer promoted to Chelsea's number one for a few significant league games, and his performance against Liverpool at Anfield saw him keep a league clean sheet for the 150th time in his career. It made him only the third goalkeeper in Premier League history to have reached that figure (beside David James and, ironically, Čech), and showed that Schwarzer – despite his age – wasn't as rusty or over the hill as might have been thought.
4. Robert Huth - Leicester
Robert Huth of Leicester City (L) battles for the ball with Divock Origi of Liverpool.
By the time Robert Huth's career at Stoke City had come to an end, he was in his thirties – which is not necessarily old for a centre-back – but he had also suffered an injury ravaged season which may have put a major question mark over his future. His loan move to Leicester City in January 2015 certainly might have signalled that his career was only going in one direction, since Leicester were still very much battling relegation at that point in their Premier League campaign.
It's a marvel how quickly fortunes can change in football. Having been part of the Chelsea squad that won the league under Jose Mourinho back in 2004-05, few would have predicted Huth would pick up another league title with Leicester over a decade later. Yet Huth's now legendary partnership with Wes Morgan, as well as a few crucial goals (including one at White Hart Lane in a one-nil away win), was the stuff of a true career renaissance.
3. Jermaine Defoe - Sunderland
Sunderland's English striker Jermain Defoe gestures during the match between Sunderland and Swansea City at the Stadium of Light.
The choice to leave Europe and continue playing in North America is generally seen as a signal that a player has lost some of their hunger for the game. After all, the most prestigious football is still played on the continent, no matter how good the standard of play is elsewhere. But there are still players for whom making the switch doesn't necessarily mean a swansong for their career.
Jermain Defoe is probably the finest example. Towards the end of his time at Tottenham, he played a vital role in their Europa League matches, but his time in league games was becoming limited. A move to Toronto FC might have implied that he couldn't hack it in the Premier League anymore, and yet his return to the fold when Sunderland signed him in January 2015 proved how far from the truth that was. Defoe enjoyed two of his highest scoring seasons back-to-back in the North East, scoring fifteen league goals two years in a row, and re-establishing himself as a prized asset in the transfer market.
2. Teddy Sheringham - West Ham
Teddy Sheringham of West Ham United celebrates scoring against Portsmouth at Upton Park.
Teddy Sheringham was no spring chicken back when he signed for Manchester United in 1997. Already 30, he was certainly putting some of his contemporaries to shame with his remarkable longevity. Leaving the club in 2001 for spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth, it would be safe to say his career seemed to be winding down, and he was 38 when he signed for West Ham and dropped down a division.
It's hard to say whether anyone could have predicted that Sheringham would so drastically outshine some of the younger players in the Championship. Despite his fortieth birthday being in near sight, Sheringham had one of the most prolific seasons of his career – scoring 20 league goals and being voted Championship Player of the Season. He helped propel West Ham back into the top flight, making him a Premier League player once again.
1. Gianfranco Zola - Chelsea
Gianfranco Zola of Chelsea runs with the ball during the UEFA Cup match between Chelsea and Viking FK.
Gianfranco Zola signed for Chelsea in 1996 at the age of 30, adding undoubted quality despite his age to a team who were becoming increasingly ambitious in the top flight. Over the course of his first few seasons he became a fan favourite: scoring goals and adding an enviable degree of creativity to their attacking play.
It shouldn't be surprising that his opportunities in the first team squad become more limited as he got further into his thirties and new signings arrived to add competition for spots in the line-up. Yet it's testament to Zola' ability that his final season as a Chelsea player was one of his finest. After a quiet season in 2001-02, 2002-03 was a bumper year for the Italian forward. He scored his highest-ever tally of league goals for the club (14 in 38 games) and was voted the club's player of the year at the age of 36. Making his an incredible tale of a late return to form.
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