5 most loyal footballers in the Premier League
With the increasing commercialization of football, some people would say that the old charm of the game is rapidly decreasing. Young upcoming players have a lot of potential when it comes to playing the sport but more often than not, the money becomes the sole factor where their loyalties lie. Case in point Raheem Sterling who was willing to take on the wrath of a global Liverpool fanbase to acquire more exposure and change his club for monetary purposes. In times like these, loyalty to one particular club is rare and refreshing.
The standard of the game is fast rising as more and more young players are eager to make a name for themselves and, as such, competition is fast rising. In cases like these, one cannot blame a player for prioritising exposure over loyalty. Breaking the trend, however, here are five players who have stuck by their clubs through it all.
#5 Lucas Leiva
The Brazillian has been with Liverpool for quite some time now. Formerly a player at Gremio in the Brazillian League, he won the Golden Ball that is awarded to the best player of the league. Players like Zico, Falcao, Robinho and Kaka have previously been the recipients of the Golden Ball.
After turning down offers from various other top clubs, Lucas Leiva joined Liverpool in the 2007-08 season. Despite being unveiled in July, he started his first match for Liverpool in November and took his time easing into the league.
Once he started, there was absolutely no stopping him. Up until 2011, Leiva proved to be a key member of a Liverpool side that provided some stability to the squad as more and more young players were roped in. He was made the captain of one such inexperienced side in the pre-season that led up to the 2010-11 season.
After this, his Liverpool career suffered a setback from which he was unable to recover from. An ACL injury following a tackle with Juan Mata saw him out for the remainder of the season. An injury layoff in the 2014-15 season saw him out for nearly six months.
Despite all this, Lucas has registered regular starts for Liverpool and has often been the key player for the squad on numerous occasions. He has spent 8 years at Liverpool.