With money talking, the majority of football transfers in recent years have been more akin to investment rather than immediate reward. With players nowadays peaking early, clubs seem less inclined to invest in experience and nous and more so in potential and unpredictability; currently the oldest average age of a squad in the Premier League is that of Hull City at 27.48 and the youngest, not so surprisingly, is held by Arsenal at 22.06 (though Sol Campbell has yet to be factored into that...). In arguably the most exciting league in the world, where players churning out man of the match performances are barely even old enough to consume the spoils that reward it, sport.co.uk takes a look at 10 players who showed that age is nothing but a number…
1.Gary McAllister
(Coventry City to Liverpool; Free transfer July 2000) Aged 35
“It’s a bit of a strange signing,” remarked Steven Gerrard to his mates when he had discovered that then-manager Gerard Houllier has signed the 35 year old midfielder from Coventry City. “Isn’t McAllister over the hill?”...Not quite Steven.
“The Enforcer” proved to be arguably one Houllier’s best ever signings during his tenure at Liverpool. The Scot played a massive part in their Treble Cup winning 2000-2001 season with crucial performances in the League and FA Cup as well as a penalty in the Semi Finals of the UEFA Cup against Barcelona followed by a man of the match performance in the 6-5 victory over Alaves scoring a goal and having a hand in three others (including the winner). A 44 yard free kick to settle the Merseyside Derby that season and a penalty in a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in the Charity Shield the following season ensured his status as a Kop hero and subsequently named as number 32 in the ‘100 Players who Shook the Kop’ survey.
2.Youri Djorkaeff
(Kaiserslautern to Bolton Wanderers; Free transfer February 2002) Aged 33
Heads turned when Sam Allardyce brought in the highly decorated French international midfielder- having been unceremoniously released by German club Kaiserslautern and losing his place in national team with a World Cup just around the corner. Onlookers in England and across Europe thought that a move to a team battling against relegation could end in embarrassment for both parties, with Bolton making Djorkaeff the club's record wage-earner with a deal worth £50,000 a week till the end of the season. He ended up spending two-and-a-half successful seasons under Allardyce, making 77 appearances and scoring 21 goals and with the help of Jay –Jay Okocha and Ivan Campo, brought about an air of style and panache that had not been seen at the Reebok Stadium before. Needless to say he found his way back into the French set up...
3. Edwin van der Sar
(Fulham to Manchester United; £2 million June 2005) Aged 35
Replacing Peter Schmeichel was never going to be easy, and after Bosnich’s bad habits, Taibi’s studs and Barthez’s unwavering insanity Sir Alex decided to put his faith in the tried and tested gloves of the former Juventus and Ajax ‘keeper. At the time it was seen as more of a stop gap to maintain some kind of stability at the back but five years on and Manchester United are still relying on the 6ft 5in stopper (A match-winning penalty save in the 2008 Champions League final shoot-out against Nicholas Anelka being one notable contribution). In that time he set a new Premier League and British top flight record for not conceding a goal for 1,302 minutes and also set a new club record for clean sheets with 11 games, taking the accolade away for United’s former great Dane.
4. Fernando Hierro
(Al Rayyan to Bolton; Free Transfer August 2006) Aged 36
“He came from Real Madrid, He didn’t cost a quid!”
Despite only playing one season for Bolton, he is considered to be one of the clubs greatest ever players with many fans remarking that he was one of the most naturally talented players they have ever had. He found himself with a decent run of games when he was asked to play in midfielder following the injury of former Real Madrid team mate Ivan Campo and quickly showed how much class there still was in that wily old body as he helped Bolton reach 8th in the table that season. He was offered a new contract at the end of the season but, to the despair of all those Bolton-related, he decided it right to call time on a fantastic career.
5. David James
(Manchester City to Portsmouth; £1.2 million August 2006) Aged 35
From potential England number one, to laughing stock to England number one with the odd moment of hilarity, David James has had a relatively peculiar career. That’s not to say it hasn’t been a successful one, maybe not so much trophy wise, but in the form of having the record for the most clean sheets in Premier League history whilst racking up the most league appearances of any goalkeeper since the formation of the Premier League. And just when his England days looked all but number, a move to Pompey seemed to kick start the hair-style obsessed keeper with a string of outstanding performances- fitness permitting, he will be England’s number one this summer... touch wood?
6. Claude Makelele
(Real Madrid to Chelsea; £16.8 million Summer 2003) Aged 30
This one might seem a stretch (re: Veteran) but given the price and the physical and mental requirements of a holding midfield player, Claude Makelele was deemed to be nearing the end of his career when Roman Abramovich spent £16.8 million on the French defensive midfielder. He went on to show is class in the 5 years he spent at Chelsea proving pivotal to Mourinho’s plans, and style of play, when he took over as manager 2004. In that time he won two Premier League titles along with an FA Cup, two League Cups and a Charity Shield. It says it all that fans and pundits alike have dubbed the defensive midfield position as the "Makélélé Role”.
7. Lee Bowyer
(West Ham United to Birmingham City; Free Transfer July 2009) Aged 32
Having spent a season on loan at Birmingham in their successful promotion campaign, Alex McLeish decided to take a punt on Bowyer for Birmingham’s re-entry into the Premier League. Deemed not good enough for the top flight by West Ham, Bowyer has been the jewel in Big Eck’s midland crown as Birmingham have ignored their predicted status as perennial strugglers this season and marched to 8th in the table with the former bad-boy contributing with 5 goals in 21 appearances (all of which have been stars). Bad boy for life? Maybe not so much...
8.Tony Cottee
(Selangor to Leicester City; £500,000 Summer 1997) Aged 32
Having been tracked down in the Malaysian football wilderness, Martin O’Neil decided to give Tony Cottee another taste of top flight football. At first the gamble looked to have been a bad one as the diminutive yet stocky striker struggled to make an impact in his first season for The Foxes. The following seasons however were a different story as he finished top scorer for Leicester City in both the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 campaigns as well as leading helping the team for League Cup glory in 2000.
9. Ray Parlour
(Arsenal to Middlesbrough; Free Transfer July 2004) Aged 31
With only one year left on his Arsenal contract, the “Romford Pele” sought pastures new having found his first team chances limited with the likes of Patrick Vieira and Emanuel Petit in the Gunners’ ranks. Soon Middlesbrough came calling and, with Steve McClaren bringing likes of Jimmy Flloyd Hasselbaink and Michael Reiziger to the Riverside, it was clear that Boro were making strides to take it to the next level. “He has tremendous pedigree, and he is a winner,” proclaimed the then brolly-less wally and how right he was; Parlour went onto make 46 league appearances for Boro as well as helping them reach the finals of the UEFA Cup final where they were faced Sevilla. Parlour played no part in a 4 – 0 demolition of the Teeside pretenders, who knows what would have happened if he had started? Then again, it’s only Ray Parlour…
10. Kevin Campbell
(Everton to West Bromwich Albion; Free Transfer January 2005) Aged 34
Having won the First Division and Cup Winners’ Cup with Arsenal earlier in his career, the one time Trabzonspor striker found himself in a contrasting situation as he was brought into a WBA side which were firmly rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. With injury his previous season dogged by injury, Campbell needed a new lease of life and the challenge that faced him at the Hawthorns was a daunting one – no one had ever survived in the Premier League when they had been bottom of the league on Christmas Day. He was soon made captain and went on to lead from the front, contributing 3 goals and playing a pivotal role in their successful battle against the drop (and the history books).