5 outfield players who have played beyond the age of 40

Two legends of the game who have played at the age of 40

Longevity is not a word that is often associated with the sport of football. The average footballer breaks into the first squad only after getting into his 20’s and is more often than not deemed either surplus to requirement at a big club by the time he turns 32, thus giving him only a short tenure of 10-12 years in the top flight across the globe.

However, like any other field, football too has had its set of outliers in players who have broken into the first team at their respective clubs and gone to have a career in excess of 20, sometimes even 25 years.

In this segment, we take a look at the 5 superstars, who defied the common belief and played beyond the age of 40.

#5 Francesco Totti

ROME, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 21: Francesco Totti of AS Roma in action during the Serie A match between AS Roma and FC Crotone at Stadio Olimpico on September 21, 2016 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) — Francesco Totti has been with AS Roma for 25 years

The Italian has established himself as the most popular sportsperson to emerge out of the glorious city of Rome, courtesy of his exploits on the pitch on numerous occasions. The AS Roma captain achieved yet another landmark a few days ago, becoming one of the few players to be a part of the Italian top flight at the age of 40.

However, if his contribution is any indication, it does not seem like Totti is ageing at all, as he continues to score as well as create goals for his teammates to this day. His ability as a goal scorer, as a creator of goals as well as one of the best readers of the game, have etched his name in the glorious chapter of not just Italian football, but global football.

Born on September 27^th, 1976, Totti joined Roma at the tender age of 13 and was handed his senior debut 6 months short of his 17 birthday and has not looked back ever since.

Il Bimbo d’Oro (The Golden Boy) has featured more than 750 times for the Italian club across a number of competitions and has yielded a healthy return of 306 goals and numerous assists to help his side gain footballing prominence.