Watch out…The Saints are Coming!

It may be early days in the season, but after just six games, it is a feat that nobody in the footballing fraternity saw coming, not least the Saints faithful. Having recorded back to back wins which includes an impressive away win to Liverpool, the Saints extended their unbeaten run to three games this weekend to find themselves sitting comfortably in fifth spot and above both Manchester clubs in the league table. Southampton have made a brilliant start to the current season and their position in the table is a reflection of their lofty ambitions. Their recent performances, most impressively at Anfield, have shown that they can no longer be considered a side that can be bullied into giving away an easy three points.

Historically Southampton have a reputation of being associated with some of the game’s legends such as Alan Ball, Alan Shearer, Peter Shilton, Matt Le Tissier and Tim Flowers to name a few, while their academy keeps on producing exciting talent that have become household names today like Theo Walcott, Nathan Dyer, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Gareth Bale. But regardless of the talent at their disposal, the Saints have never been regarded as a side that could land silverware at the highest level. In fact despite a number of final appearances, the one major piece of silverware that furnishes their trophy cabinet is the FA Cup that was won way back in 1976. In the recent past the club has also had their share of problems off the field as well. After being one of the founding teams of the Premier League, they were relegated in 2005 after spending 27 years in the top flight. They endured a rather rough journey that saw them hit rock bottom by going into administration and slide all the way down to League One.

In 2009, owned and backed by the wealthy Liebherr family, Southampton began their road to recovery. After missing out on promotion that season, the Saints earned back to back promotions to propel them back among in the English elite for season 2012-2013. They began life in the Premiership under the stewardship of Nigel Adkins who having steered them up from the lower divisions had become a fan favourite. In mid January 2013 after having climbed to 15^th in the table, Nicola Cortese, the executive chairman of the club, made the highly unpopular decision to unceremoniously sack Adkins and replace him with a then unheard of Argentinean Mauricio Pochettino. The decision at that time was regarded as ruthless and unnecessary, but Cortese stood firm and insisted that it was the right thing to do if progress was required.

Looking back it may seem like a long time ago, but Pochettino has been in charge of the Saints for just 24 games. And what an impact he has had! Having inherited a young team that stuck and grew together during their journey through the lower leagues, the South American coach realized quickly that new faces were required if Southampton were to take their game to the next level. Playing an attractive brand of attacking football Southampton stars Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez and the likes were slowly becoming household names. But there was a need to add a certain amount of steel and firepower to this talented side. His shrewd signings in the transfer market are a definite sign of intent and how far the club has come. They worked fast and beat clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton to then club record signing Victor Wanyama. This was followed by them breaking the club transfer record once more by completing the signing of Pablo Osvaldo from Roma. They were also successful in bringing defender Dejan Lovren to St. Mary’s. Having finished most of their transfer business early, the players were given sufficient time to get integrated into the team and soak up the coach’s ideology and tactics.

Pochettino believes that Southampton are where they are because they belong to be there. With this young Southampton side working like a well-oiled machine, the sky could very much be the limit. Lambert and Osvaldo are beginning to form an undeniably lethal partnership up front, while the Saints defence has been one of the stingiest so far letting in just two goals in the six games played. Their efficient midfield marshaled by club captain Adam Lallana are holding their own against the big guns and in Artur Boruc, they have a seasoned goalkeeper who currently shares top spot for most clean sheets in the season.

Looking to break the break the form book and go against history, Pochettino is hoping to steam roll his way beyond a top half finish. He feels that Southampton are a club that can challenge and break into the top four and all that is required to achieve this is the same imagination and bravery adopted so far. All that is left now is for his players to heed his battle cry, and it most certainly will take more than a miracle for the other sides to take the Saints down.

Has Benitez Improved Fernando Torres?

Fernando Torres and Rafa Benitez are certainly no strangers to attracting the wrong kind of attaention of for that matter to each other. After all it is the latter who signed El Nino at Liverpool and made him an overnight Kop favourite. Having engineered an exceptional understanding and rapport over their well spent time together at Anfield, it probably came as no surprise when Torres was caught singing the praises of his former manager who possibly had turned around the fortunes of the striker one more time.

In what has been a highly controversial yet successful reign at Stamford Bridge, Rafa Benitez before signing for new club Napoli, received the perfect tribute from striker Fernando Torres, who claimed that the Spanish coach had vastly improved Chelsea as a team during his time there. Now it’s hard to see who wouldn’t succeed after inheriting a side so packed with riches and talent, but yet one cannot take away from the Spanish tactician or his methods that secured the Europa League title and a third place finish in the Premier League in what has been a very grueling season for the Blues.

Asked to take charge in November, the ex-Liverpool boss wasn’t a popular choice among the fans and was practically booed all the way practically till the end of the season. His signing was justified by a few saying that he probably was the only man who could get the then European Champions firing with Torres leading the attack. And after nearly 70 games played and a season that looked like it was going to implode, the one thing that certainly stands out as one of Rafa’s major achievement, is the fact that Torres has found his scoring boots.

Fernando Torres landed on English shores in 2007 with a reputation that certainly packed a punch and that’s more or less what he did. Hustling and bustling the Spaniard scored goal after goal as as he took to the English game like fish to water. Lethal and reliable, he was the hero of Anfield and was certainly coveted by many. He did go through a slump in his last season at Liverpool, but many attributed it to injury and stress and all expected him to be back fitter and even deadlier.  Then in the transfer window of January 2011, Chelsea made the audacious bid of about  £50 million to land Fernando Torres and that’s precisely about when the goals seemed to dry up for the talented Spaniard. Having played under Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villas Boas and Robbie Di Matteo, Torres found it hard to find inspiration and even harder to find the back of the net. Low on confidence, lacking on passion and uncomfortable and threatened to be playing second fiddle to other strikers, he drew a forlorn figure unsure of where he was headed. The once lethal striker that made defenders quake in their boots was now being out run and muscled off the ball like he didn’t exist. He tried as hard as he could and though the effort was there for all to see, he was simply not scoring which became a common ground for frustration for Chelsea supporters and management alike. Quite annoyed and worried as to what Chelsea had bought themselves into, despair was just around the corner. That was until the hierarchy decided to bring in change in the shape of the highly controversial hire of Rafa Benitez.

And the change is there for all to see. After scoring a disappointingly meager total of 12 goals in his first one and a half seasons, Torres finished last season as top scorer for Chelsea notching up a welcome 23 goals in all competitions. He may have not set the Premier League on fire with his eight goals, but he certainly contributed to their run in the FA Cup, Capital One Cup and the title winning Europa League campaign. All of a sudden gone were the deflected and miscued shots that somehow found the back of the net, but instead fans were treated to sublime sure finishes. His probable goal of the season came in the Europa League final where Torres rolled back the years to score the opener against Benfica in the final of the Europa League. Breaking away on a counter after half time, the ball landed at Torres feet in the Benfica half. After having outpaced the opposing captain Luisao with ease he entered the penalty box with only goalkeeper Artur to beat. Seeming to have all the time in the world, he rounded the keeper with ease, to finally stab the ball home from an acute angle. And as he ran to the corner flag to celebrate and salute the fans, he probably knew that he was back.

There is no doubt that under Benitez, Torres was awarded more patience and greater playing minutes to help him find his mojo. He was protected more than others, with a lot of flak deflected off the somewhat fragile striker. His work ethic was praised and so was his defending. Mata, Oscar, Hazard and the rest of the Chelsea team did their best and played their part to integrate the club’s most expensive signing. And it does seem like all of this has worked to bring out not necessarily the best but at least a kind of efficiency and dependency that was missing in Torres.

The pall of gloom may have disappeared and it may be all smiles for Torres as he celebrates what has been a reasonably good season for him by earning a call back into the Spanish national team. There is without a shadow of a doubt who is responsible for this excellent turnaround and don’t be too perturbed if you find Torres singing into the night, “Gracias Señor Rafa.”

Moving On…To A Great New Season

We may still have a few nail-biting weeks to go before the end of the season but the events that have transpired in the footballing world over the last few days have been anything short of dramatic. If you were expecting the focus to be on title chases, the battle for glory or for some even survival, you are most certainly quite mistaken. Instead be prepared for a manager merry go round like one you’ve never seen before.

The catalyst for what is going to lead to a very interesting post season is the decision by Sir Alex Ferguson to call time on his reign at Manchester United at the end of the season. After guiding the Red Devils to their 20^th league title, the Scotsman will finally step down after over a quarter of a century in charge. With a job available to lead at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, a lot of names were thrown into the hat, but the powers that be at Old Trafford acted swiftly to usher in David Moyes from Everton as their man. This has now left a manager’s post vacant at Everton and the bookies favourite to get that job is Roberto Martinez of Wigan. Also in close contention are Malky Mackay of newly promoted Cardiff City, Michael Laudrup of Swansea City and Neil Lennon of Scottish Champions, Celtic. If any one of these managers are to take up the Everton job, it would in turn lead to a chain reaction that could end up sucking in more clubs into this game of musical chairs.

In addition to the above, there is the guessing game of which manager could be on the move. Rafa Benitez is at Chelsea on an interim basis and is most likely making way for Jose Mourinho who seems desperate to make the switch back to London, considering he is running out of friends in Spain. Should the move materialise, Carlo Ancelotti could be on a plane to Madrid from PSG.  Reports coming out of Spain also suggest that Manchester City have reached an agreement with Manuel Pellegrini, leaving Roberto Manicini probably without a job. Pep Guardiola will be taking over at Bayern Munich, putting current manager Jupp Heynckes, who is on the verge of a historical treble, out there in the job market too.

With the kind of speculation in the media, the PR machinery at the clubs are definitely working in overdrive to contain any negative impact such announcements, statements or assumptions could have. One such action taken is Real Madrid being forced to cancel a pre match press conference for this weekend to avoid any further controversies.  Also with all to play for certain clubs, such rumours could destabilize a team and its players. Both Manchester City and Wigan will face off tonight in the FA Cup final, which is their last chance for silverware this season. But with both managers jobs under scrutiny for different reasons, one can totally understand if they do not really feel committed to the cause.  Players too could end up being distracted focusing on where their future lies rather than getting the job in hand done. Wigan are also involved in a relegation dog fight that sees them needing to win at least one of their remaining two games and hope that other results go their way if they have to avoid the drop.

There is no doubt that such movement among managers will certainly have a direct impact on the club transfer policy. Clubs are obviously looking to steal a march on their rivals by getting players to commit well in advance and Mario Goetze’s switch to Bayern Munich is one such transfer of note. On the other hand a club could end up having a disgruntled player who doesn’t agree with the incoming managers policy and like Wayne Rooney put in a transfer request.

This is without a doubt only the tip of the iceberg and you can certainly expect a lot more drama to unfold in the coming weeks. With more money being made available and more movement expected in both players and managers to come this post season could well be fantasy football at its very best.

One Small Bite of Ludicrous

Luis Suarez has done it again. And I'm not talking about his dramatic last gasp equalizer that rescued a point for Liverpool against Chelsea; but instead we are focussing on his horrific attack on a player on the pitch during play. Being frowned upon as we speak, he is probably coming up with different ways to explain his astonishing behavior of sinking his teeth into an opponent (Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea) during the game. It is going to be interesting to see how the Uruguayan walks away from this latest chapter in his life.

No stranger to controversy, this isn't the first time that Suarez has been involved in a biting incident. In 2010, while plying his trade with Ajax in the Dutch League, Suarez was found guilty of biting PSV player Otman Bakkal and was duly suspended for seven games. He never turned out for Ajax after that incident and was eventually moved on to Liverpool. With history repeating itself now, his latest actions could possibly bring his career at Liverpool to a premature end. 

Looking at Suarez and his statistics, you would imagine that a player as influential and as talented as him would not have to resort to such tactics in the game. But right from the first biting incident, to his handball against Ghana in the quarterfinal of the 2010 World Cup, to the racial abuse saga involving Patrice Evra of Manchester United, Suarez has earned the tag of being a 'Dirty Player'. But running parallel to this negative image, his time at Liverpool has been nothing short of remarkable. Having recently been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year Award, Suarez has topped the goal scoring charts in the Premier League and has almost single handedly steered a mediocre looking Liverpool side almost to the doors of European qualification this season. But for all his hard work, there is no way that anyone is going to turn a blind eye to this latest incident. Liverpool were rightly criticized for their overtly public defense and vocal support of Suarez during the racial abuse incident and a club of their stature would do well now to be one of the first to severely condone this act by one of their star players. 

The FA for their part will most likely end up taking retrospective action on the player after reviewing footage of the game, which could effectively see him miss the remainder of the season. This would be a damning blow on Liverpool's ambitions of making it to Europe for next season, even if it means the Europa League. On an individual front too, Suarez may be out of the running for the PFA Player of the Year Award. It seems like both club and player are set to pay a huge price for that moment of madness from Merseyside's enfant terrible.

In today's day and age of technology, with cameras pointing at you from every possible angle, there is no way a single second of action on the pitch can be missed. This is a fact that is probably communicated and ingrained into every player when they step out on the pitch. How Suarez thought he could get away with such an act is beyond belief but what is shocking is the fact that he felt the need to resort to such an act. There is enough evidence to suggest that he was very much aware to what he was doing and was done with the intent to cause harm. Such behavior has no place in the world of sport and can cause lot of damage to both the league and the club. For all his genius, he is turning out to be a bigger menace to the spirit of the game. With social media playing their part in spreading the news, Liverpool's credibility of being a 'Big Club' with values has certainly taken a beating. The need of the hour is that strict action is taken and a strong precedent set that sends out a stern message that such erratic behavior is not going to be tolerated.

London Clubs Eye Return to Europe

The race to the title may be a foregone conclusion in the Premier League, but it’s all to fight for a few as they look to seal their spot in Europe next season. 

With the title theirs to lose, Manchester United are effectively closing in on their 20^th title. Their ‘noisy neighbours’ and outgoing champions Manchester City have tried hard to recreate the magic of last season but have fallen way short and will have to settle for second place . With both the Manchester sides securing their participation in the UEFA Champions League for next season, the drama now shifts to which other English sides can claim the remaining places left in what is considered the best club football tournament in the world. 

There are only a handful of games left to play till the end of the season and three London clubs have emerged as primary contenders to these prized spots. Barring a sudden dip in form from any of these sides, it’s going to be a fight to the finish between close rivals, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. 

Lets take a look at each of these sides and what their chances are in grabbing their ticket to next seasons Champions League.

Arsenal

The Gunners have an impressive record of never missing out on Europe’s elite club competition in the last 16 years. Shadowed though by underperformance, self doubt and losing big players in the last few years, not many would have given them the chance of finishing in the top four this season, but yet here they are in the mix and looking to prove their detractors wrong once again.

Wenger’s young guns will not have the distraction of other competitions to turn their heads away from the task that is at hand. An empty trophy cabinet and a subsequently not so crowded fixture list may just work in Arsenal’s favour this time. Currently fifth and sitting two points behind Spurs in fourth with a game in hand, Arsenal are peaking at the right time. Having won five of their last six premier league games to cut the gap on their rivals, they are a team in good form. Their next few games though bring them up against hard working and Europe chasing Everton and champions elect Manchester United. If they can get points out of these tough games and not drop any while on the road to Fulham, QPR and Newcastle, another top four finish is certainly not beyond their reach.

Chelsea

Chelsea have the toughest run in among all the sides chasing a top four spot. With their participation in the Europa League and the FA Cup, interim manager, Rafa Benitez has a mountain of a task on his hands with a crammed schedule for the next few weeks. Fighting on three fronts he will have to decide whether to go all out in a bid to win silverware or to ensure a top four finish. That call will definitely not be easy for him to make knowing that his future at the club is not secure. Having had to enforce player rotation to deal with fatigue and avoid injuries during the business end of the season, he has done well for himself to transform what would have otherwise been a dismal season for the club to one that one could call a relative success.

Currently occupying third spot in the league Chelsea have been impeccable at home in the league, having won their last five games, but on the road they have shockingly managed just one point from their last four fixtures. In their remaining home fixtures Chelsea might easily extend their winning run against Swansea, Everton and Spurs, but it is on the road that they would need something special. With tough trips to Liverpool and Manchester United added to a derby game against Fulham, the Blues have their work cut out in their hunt to secure another top four finish. 

Tottenham

Spurs under the stewardship of Andre Villas Boas have done their reputation no harm as one of the most exciting sides in English football. With both manager and club desperate to prove that their past success is no flash in a pan, a top four finish this season may seem imperative. But the responsibility of ensuring that success is slowly beginning to fall on the shoulders of one man – Gareth Bale.

The Welshman is being touted as one of the best talents to have set foot at White Hart Lane and some even mention his name in the same breath as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Blessed with pace and guile, his goals this season have proved key to Villas Boas’ tactics that see them holding on to fourth spot. Champions League qualification has now become a necessity for Spurs if they have to guarantee that this superstar stays with them next season. But their over reliance on him too could lead to their downfall. Spurs recent winless run and them crashing out of the Europa League coincides with Bale's absence on the pitch. Out with an injury that saw him miss the game last week against Everton, Spurs are racing against time to get him fit for this weekend’s crucial clash against Manchester City. In the weeks that follow Spurs also have to make tough trips to Wigan, Stoke and Chelsea. Without Bale, Spurs lack the cutting edge that brings in the confidence required to overcome high pressure situations. How quickly he recovers and how long he stays injury free in the coming weeks will define Spurs season.

One Mour Special Move

If there’s anything that we will ever learn from life and modern football in general, it is that change is a constant, and that Jose Mourinho could be on the move again. With the self proclaimed ‘Special One’ making all the noises, the stage is set for another ‘will he, won’t he’ saga to unfold. A master at handling the media, he has wound up the rumour mill and has got everybody guessing if he will still remain at Real Madrid next season. 

Over the past few years, Mourinho has earned himself accolades and titles a plenty. Widely regarded as a cut throat tactician for his methods and the results that he obtains, there are very few managers who can match up to him statistically too. Having won over 65% of his games in charge, he has one of the very few to have claimed domestic titles in four different countries (Portugal, England, Italy and Spain) and won the UEFA Champions League twice in addition to other trophies. His record is so impressive that he has picked up at least one trophy in every year since 2002. 

Mourinho guarantees immediate success. Give him a free reign and he will assemble and fashion a team that is capable of bringing home silverware. But like every success story, Mourinho does have his fair share of critics and he is not afraid to take the punches thrown at him on the chin. There are many who say that his style of football kills the beautiful game, lacks expression and is not played in true spirit. His players who claim to willingly follow his every directive, are at times accused of being mercenaries and have shown more loyalty to club and manager rather than to their respective countries. But Mourinho knows that if ‘Winning takes care of everything’ for Tiger Woods, it certainly does the trick too for most club owners, fans and players themselves. He has rarely looked at the game as an art form but has instead seen it as a science where he has time and again cracked the formula to success. And this is the reason why there will always be a host of clubs willing to sign the Portuguese.

If one were to study Mourinho’s career, it is plain to see that he hasn’t stayed at any club for more than three seasons. Having engineered moves prematurely in the past, the signs right now are pointing to another such move. With a return to one of his former clubs being touted as a possible destination, Chelsea and Inter have become the bookies favourite to land the Portuguese services. Though Mourinho has spoken about his love affair with the Italian giants, the Nerazzurri has worked fast to blow off any rumours and have instead given a vote of confidence to Andrea Stramaccioni to build on his successes of this term. That leaves Mourinho with the prospect of returning to London and won’t he relish the chance to complete some unfinished business at Chelsea. Having built the bridges that were burnt in 2007, Mourinho has most possibly laid the foundations for a very likely return to Stamford Bridge. Bankrolled by Roman Abramovich, Chelsea are on the lookout for somebody to give the Blue Brigade some steel and guide them back to glory and who better than the familiar face of Mourinho who once made the Blues a formidable force to reckon with. They are currently a team in transition. With an interim coach currently in charge, the London side has faced more downs than ups this season. There have been moments of brilliance but these have been over shadowed by stubbornness and mediocrity. Chelsea know that if they are to land the 'Special One' for a second term, they have a lot to do and it starts with earning themselves a top four finish and a passage into next season’s UEFA Champions League. Failure to do so could see Mourinho floating his CV elsewhere. 

Should Mourinho make the return to Chelsea, it would not only help give the club direction but would also give the Premier League a much needed injection of competition. Though it is a marketing monster that is growing bigger everyday, the league is way off from their claim of being the best in the world right now. The Premier League lost some of its sheen with the exodus of Jose Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo and others to the Spanish Primera Liga and other leagues in the past few seasons. Lack of genuine stars and a talent pool that isn’t coming of age fast enough, has left the Premier League incapable of fighting with the best in Europe and this is fairly reflected in the lack of participation of English Clubs in this season’s UEFA Champions League.  

The Premier League needs Mourinho as much as he needs the return to Chelsea. His involvement would certainly bring back some grit and would stem the slow and steady decline that has been witnessed in the Premier League over the last few seasons. As many may know, Mourinho has the ability to push opposing teams, players and their managers to their wits end and sometimes even bring out the best in his opposition. It is probably this trait that makes him want to be better than any other, always looking for a way to make the impossible very much possible . He is without a doubt a modern day footballing genius, and will most certainly come for a price. Abramovich knows that bringing Mourinho back would certainly be money well spent and could just be the start of another much needed relationship between the 'Special One' and the English game.

In Safe Hands

It takes a lot to be in top physical and mental shape and be able to turn up for games week in and week out. Most Premier League sides do end up having a packed match schedule through the season. Add training and possibly injuries to the mix, and that’s a lot for a players body to take. But there does seem to be a select few who seem to have cracked the code and are pushing themselves way beyond the twilight of their careers. 

Some of the best teams in the game have been built around great goalkeepers who have pulled out all the stops when called upon. They are so indispensable to the overall scheme of things that players such as Dino Zoff, Peter Shilton, Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar have all donned the gloves and taken their spot between the sticks to well beyond the age of 40. In fact the record for the oldest player to ever play in a Premier League match is held by John Burridge who at the ripe age of 43 years and 162 days turned out for Manchester City in May 1995. 

This piece takes a look at some of the oldest goalkeepers in the Premier League who have done well to keep themselves fit and are still out there pushing and defying the odds to still be there in the game. 

Thomas Sorensen, Stoke City (36)

Thomas Sorensen has made quite an impression in the 15 years spent in the Premier League. Through the years he has been the first choice keeper for Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke City. Having made over a 100 national appearances, he has done well to fill the boots of the legendary Peter Schmeichel. Weighing his options about a possible move away from Stoke City, age does not seem to be putting the brakes on this Dane.

Kelvin Davis, Southampton (36)

Kelvin Davis has recently signed a deal to keep him at St. Mary’s close to his 40^th birthday. Having spent a good deal of his career outside the Premiership, he is enjoying his second stint among the English elite after having played with Sunderland in the Premier League in the 2005-2006 season. This English keeper has since then stuck with the Saints during their relegation battles and has also seen them through the tough but remarkable promotion battles from League One to the Premiership. 

Shay Given, Aston Villa (36) 

Shay Given may have started his career at Celtic, but it is in the Premier League at Newcastle United where this Irishman made his name as one of the finest goalkeepers in the League. Ambition drove him to break his 12 year association with the Toons, and join Manchester City with whom he won a FA Cup medal. Currently at Aston Villa, he finds himself in the unfamiliar territory of a relegation dogfight. 

Henrique Hilario, Chelsea (37)

This Chelsea keeper has had his share of critics through his seven year stint with the club. His role may have been limited to being cover for the first and second choice keepers at the club, but he has found himself called upon in a starting role from time to time. He has managed to earn himself a one Premiership, a Champions League, a League Cup and four FA Cup medals in the bargain.  

Jussi Jääskeläinen, West Ham United (37)

This Bolton legend spent 15 years at the club establishing himself as one of the finest keepers in the game. Bought by the Trotters for a mere £100,000 in 1997 while still in the Football League First Division, Jääskeläinen thought the time was right to part ways with the club after their relegation from the Premiership last season. He is now first choice keeper at West Ham United.

Steve Harper, Newcastle United (39)

Having dedicated 19 years to the Toons, this Englishman is the longest serving player in the history of Newcastle United. He proved his worth to the club by helping them win promotion back in the Premier League by keeping a record 21 clean sheets in 37 games. Through the years he has made over 250 appearances for the club and has given good competition to the likes of Pavel Srníček, Shaka Hislop, Shay Given and now Tim Krul. 

Mark Schwarzer, Fulham (40)

The Aussie made his Premier League debut with Middlesbrough back in 1996 and has continued to prove his detractors wrong since then. Showing little sign of his abilities fading he has completed 100 caps for country and is aiming to make it to Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He has just signed a contract extension with Fulham that would keep him at Craven Cottage well beyond his 41st birthday.

Brad Friedel, Tottenham Hotspur (41)

Friedel to this day continues to make much younger players sweat and fight for their place in the team. Having featured for Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa early in his career, he now dons the colour of Spurs. He currently holds the Premier League record for most consecutive appearances with 310 and thanks his 70 year old mother, who is a physical education teacher, for inspiring him to stay fit and prolong his career.

Mike Pollitt, Wigan Athletic (41)

The oldest keeper of the current lot, Mike Pollitt got his first taste of Premiership action when he became the first signing for Wigan Athletic after promotion in June 2005. First choice keeper for that season his heroics led the Latics to the League Cup Final. Post that one season he has been considered as backup keeper at the DW stadium making rare starts in cup games.