Finished at 30? Age is nothing but a number:

Premier League / Alsy / 26 July 2008 / Leave a Comment

This week Sir Alex Ferguson said that an ageing Chelsea squad would struggle to emulate their achievements of recent years. But, says Alistair Morgan, plenty of players are showing that age is not what it used to be.

In the "real" world, inhabited by you and I, just around the time you get the hang of that "career" thingy you'd be consigned to the scrapheap if you were a professional footballer. In their early thirties top footballers have to decide between lower-league football and careers advice twenty years later than most so it's no real surprise that players fight to stay in football for as long as possible.

The Premiership has seen plenty of them over the years. John Burridge (Man City, 43yrs), Steve Ogrizovic (Coventry, 42), Neville Southall (Bradford, 41), Kevin Poole (Bolton, 41), David Seaman (Man City, 40), Gordon Strachan (Coventry, 40), Bryan Robson (Middlesbrough 39), Dave Beasant (Nottm Forest, 39), John Lukic (Arsenal 39), Ray Wilkins (QPR, 39) and Les Sealey (West Ham, 39) make up the top-ten-Premiership-oldies.

Looking through the list a whopping 80% are keepers, proving that managers are only too happy to help the aged if they're still stopping goals. Nevertheless, I can't understand why this position, requiring no little athleticism and lighting reflexes, seems exempt from the harsh realities of professional football.

Record-breaker Peter Shilton played at 47... that was far too long in his case but it's a mistake to assume that all older players are past it. Kevin Poole ended his Premiership career at 41 before signing for Burton Albion in 2006 - he kept a clean sheet on his debut and won Player of the Season last year.

As Manchester United bask in the glory of a Premiership and Champions League double their keeper, Edwin van der Sar, looks as good as he ever was at Ajax or Juventus. A host of No2 keepers arrive and leave Old Trafford but 38-year-old (in October) Van der Sar remains an ever-present fixture between the sticks. Installed as worthy Premiership favourites, at [2.9] to win, Van de Sar remains one of United's key players.

At the other end of the table 36-year-old Dwight Yorke has signed a year extension at Sunderland. With Sunderland listed at a tempting [5.7] for relegation the experience and talent of Yorke will play a key part in their campaign for survival. Elsewhere, as the final rounds of pre-season jostling continue the Premiership goalkeeper most sought after is not Scott Carson or Paul Robinson but Blackburn's 37-year-old Brad Friedel while David James is probably the best English keeper around aged 38 on August 1st.

However, it's not just older goalkeepers who make an impact in the top flight. Teddy Sherringham, Gary Speed and Tugay all bucked the trend with ease while the evergreen Claude Makelele arrived at Chelsea a veteran (no one actually believes he's only 35) and left years later without any visible decline in his abilities. Abroad players like Cafu, Del Piero, Larsson, Ayala, Weir and the peerless Maldini continue to earn their wages and plenty of plaudits week-in, week-out.

So what motivates these older players? Certainly not just money as they're well rewarded for their efforts. Glory must be a factor for some. To be pampered and feted for years must be hard to relinquish, especially in a sport so enjoyable that most play for free as a hobby. Who can blame them for wringing out a few extra rounds of applause before taking one final walk down the tunnel?

With Premiership managers not known for their sentiment we have to assume that older players in the modern game are simply better equipped to enjoy longer careers. Gone are the days of steak & chips before kick-off and beer and tabs afterwards. With better preparation, nutrition, training techniques and recovery care available we should see more players pushing back their sell-by-dates. There's certainly no sympathy in modern football, too much money is at stake while older professionals invariably command more wages than up-and-coming talent. There's nothing else to do but respect the enduring skills of players like Makelele and accept that, until a decline in ability is visible, age ain't nothing but a number.