5 players who stayed at the club despite relegation

Loyalty is a very rare thing to find in the world these days. Most people are so self-centered that they abandon the ship they are sailing on –  the very moment they feel a strong wave hitting against the ship.

Hence, in a world like this, being able to locate a loyal person is just about as hard as discovering a Unicorn. But all is not lost just yet, humanity still lives.

In football, about 90% of the players love their own careers more than they love the club they play for. Despite playing for years in a club, they wouldn’t hesitate a moment before saying yes to another club of higher stature.

But there are exceptions here. Some players wear the crest on their sleeves and are like those musicians that sunk with the titanic—in other words, stay at the club even if they have been relegated.

And here are 5 such players…

Michael Carrick

He might be the most underrated or overrated midfielder in the world, it just depends on who you are asking. While the debate rages on here, what can’t be argued is loyalty—at least with West Ham.

Despite having a fine squad, West Ham United couldn’t avoid the embarrassment of being relegated back in 2003. Every star talent in the team jumped ship; Jermain Defoe handed in a transfer request within 24 hours, Glen Johnson and Joe Cole left for Chelsea, Frederic Kanoute signed for Tottenham while the rest scattered to other clubs.

But one man stayed: the then 21-year-old Michael Carrick.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have any suitors for him; far from that, actually. The former Tottenham star was already a full-fledged England international and a first-team regular with the Hammers, so he was someone who attracted attention, but he chose to stick with the club who put him in the limelight in the first place and try to help them to qualify for the Premier League next season.