The effect of glamour and finances on the game of football cannot be underestimated. Very often, footballers are led to making decisions that are influenced by the glamour or the finances, rather than footballing rationale. While some do go on to justify their big money moves, a number of players have so far set examples on how a big money move can ruin one’s growth as a footballer.
At the other end of the spectrum, there exists a segment of players who are touted to be legends for their respective clubs and are expected to make a move every transfer window, only for them to shut down the speculation time and again and stay put with their beloved club.
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In this segment, we take a look at 5 players, who rejected big money moves to stay at their respective clubs.
#5 Ledley King - Tottenham Hotspur
Ledley King, the former Tottenham defender and captain, has been regarded as one of the best centre-backs to have played in the Premier League era. While a chronic knee injury decided to play spoilsport in his long career at White Hart Lane, King was amongst the best in Europe when fit.
Such were his performances for his club during the period of 1999 and 2012, and was even voted as the 25th best player at the club ever by The Times.
While King spent his entire footballing career at White Hart Lane, there was a time when he was on the radar of cross-town rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, who were willing to improve on his wages and also provide him with an opportunity to play in the Champions League.
However, none of these proved to be tempting enough for the former English defender, as he refused the moves to the supposed greener pastures of London.
The reception received by Sol Campbell on making the move to arch rivals Arsenal from Tottenham, served King as a reminder of what was to come in case he made the move.
“There were rumours, yeah. It was just after Sol left so that, obviously, was never going to happen. I saw the response Sol got as well! No, I was never going to leave and especially not to join Arsenal,” said King in a recent interview to Joe’s Football Friday Live.
#4 Paolo Maldini - AC Milan
The legendary Paolo Maldini remains amongst the very few players who have managed to stay put at a club, irrespective of the highs and lows experienced by him during his time at AC Milan.
The former Italy international won an incredible 26 trophies, with the club where he began his footballing journey, during 25 years of senior football. Milan have since retired his number in his honour.
Despite being in his prime for a long duration of time, the player did have moments when he believed a move away from Milan would do him a world of good. Speaking to Sky Sports last year, the former Milan captain explained how he came close to joining the then up-and-coming Chelsea team under compatriot Gianluca Vialli, who was the manager of the London club from 1998 until 2000.
“I bet he will not confirm this, but Gianluca was the only one who approached me during my 20-year-career with Milan and offered me the chance to move. I considered his offer, because I was hurt by some things that had been said about me, but then I preferred to remain with the club of my heart,” said Maldini.
Even the legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has expressed his admiration for the centre-back and even wanted to sign him to shore up his defensive options, only for Maldini to turn down his offer.
#3 Steven Gerrard - Liverpool
Liverpool had won the Champions League in 2005 and Steven Gerrard had played a crucial role in their success by scoring and creating goals.
However, when Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea came calling at the end of the 2005 season, the Liverpool born and bred player was all set to leave his beloved club, only for him to reject the move, which would make Liverpool fans admire and adore him more.
Life moved on and so did Gerrard as he established himself as one of the best players in the league of all times, but the interest from clubs did not cease to exist. Mourinho tried to lure the player time and again during his managerial tenures at Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
However, Gerrard, refused to make a move, irrespective of hefty offers coming his way and stayed at Anfield.
While the former Reds captain might have won a number of trophies, the coveted Premier League trophy eluded him. However, it did not deter his determination to stay at Liverpool, despite their troubles on and off the pitch and left the club with his reputation and respect sky-high at the expiry of his contract in 2015.
Jose Mourinho is one of the biggest and most high-profile fans of the Luyton-born player and had this to say with regards to the midfield general last year, “He's done an amazing career with his people. He refused to play in other big clubs, other big leagues to play only for Liverpool and this is a feeling that stays together. Who knows I play against Steven as a Liverpool manager someday."
#2 Gianluigi Buffon - Juventus
Though the Italian captain was the subject of a high-profile move from Parma to Juventus, it is his dedication to his current club, even in times of peril that merits his inclusion in this list.
The legendary goalkeeper had already established himself as one of the finest in Europe when a match-fixing scandal rocked Italian football and Juventus in particular. Juventus were subsequently stripped of their Serie A title and relegated to Serie B as a punishment for their involvement in the match-fixing scandal, but Buffon stayed put at the club despite numerous offers from big clubs across Europe, including Real Madrid.
He was even believed to have been put up for sale by Juventus post their relegation, but expressed his intentions to stay in Turin, in a bid to help his side gain promotion and regain their lost status amongst the Italian elite.
His decision to stay endeared him to the Juventus faithful and etched his name in the glorious memoirs of the club.
In an interview to the French magazine So Foot, the Italian Number 1 claimed that he wishes to end his career at Juventus. He said, "even if I were offered twice my salary elsewhere, I would stay at Juve. Doing so would make me proud as it is a worthy thing to do. I want to play at this level until I'm 40, then that will be it."
#1 Francesco Totti - AS Roma
The former Italy man has been a faithful servant to his boyhood club AS Roma since joining them in 1989 as a 13-year-old. Totti has bagged numerous trophies for his club, and it would only be deemed prudent that he would look to move away from Rome in a bid to experience football outside the city.
However, Totti has refused to move away from the club and serves as one of their best players, albeit in a reduced capacity at Roma.
The Giallorossi legend who has amassed over 700 appearances for his club was believed to be on the radar of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona in 2001, but refused to be lured by the money or the glamour and has since established himself as one of the most committed players to have ever graced the game of football.
Like Gerrard, it must be noted that life was not too easy for him at Roma and he could have made the switch to the glorious shores of Spain to win a number of trophies.
Totti has not been shy of expressing his love for Roma, time and again coming out with quotes that have only enhanced his reputation as a human being and a footballer. “I never thought about money, otherwise I would have left aged 26 when Real Madrid and Barcelona wanted me,” said the former Italian striker in an interview with Sky Italia after extending his contract with Roma.
