5 best veterans in world football

4. Andrea Barzagli

Italy v Sweden - FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier Play-Off: Second Leg

Andrea Barzagli is considered to be one of the best and most consistent defenders of his generation! His name is ranked among other legendary veteran defenders of the days of yore such as Alessandro Nesta and Javier Zanetti.

Barzagli started his career as a journeyman who represented several lower division Italian sides before joining Chievo and Palermo in Serie A. He even represented Vfl Wolfsburg in Germany - where he won a Bundesliga title in 2009.

However, it was after returning to Italy with Juventus in 2011 that he really developed into the dominant, fearsome defensive force to be reckoned with. In the years since, Barzagli has helped Juventus to 7 successive Serie A titles and 4 Coppa Italias. He has been a veteran in the international setup with Italy and won the FIFA World Cup in 2006, apart from finishing Runners-Up in Euro 2012. He was also a Bronze medal recipient in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

At 37, Barzagli is in the twilight of his career and has enjoyed a significant and hugely successful career. Over the course of his professional career, Barzagli has developed into one of the most dominant defenders in the game and has definitely left an everlasting impact on the game, as a whole!