5 players you probably didn't know are still playing professional football

Football careers can take a variety of paths. There are some players who manage to stay at the top until the very end, but for others, injuries, a lack of form or the pull of a return to their native land can see them leave the spotlight of top-level European football much earlier.

The paths their careers then follow are often lost on those who primarily concentrate on the big European leagues. For instance, ex-Bayern Munich midfielder Ze Roberto played on until the age of 43 in Brazil, while former Manchester United and Aston Villa midfielder Eric Djemba Djemba currently plays in the amateur leagues in France.

Here are five players you probably didn’t know are still playing professional football in 2018.

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#5 Diego Forlan

Things didn’t quite work out for Diego Forlan at Manchester United, but he nevertheless went on to enjoy a successful career in Spain at Villarreal and Atletico Madrid and also finished as the joint top scorer at the 2010 World Cup and win the Copa America with Uruguay in 2011.

Since leaving European football in 2012, Forlan has embarked on a bit of a globetrotting tour, taking in Brazil, Japan, India and a return to his native Uruguay with Penarol.

After taking a year out in 2017, the 38-year-old has now agreed to join reigning Hong Kong champions Kitchee SC as they prepare for their participation in the 2018 AFC Champions League.

Forlan isn’t the only striker from Uruguay’s 2002 World Cup squad still playing professionally. More remarkably, the incredibly well-travelled Sebastian Abreu, now 41, has just signed for Chilean top flight side Audax Italiano after an impressive return of 11 goals in 13 appearances for the second division team Puerto Montt.

#4 Roque Santa Cruz

Roque Santa Cruz in his days at Manchester City

A series of injuries meant that Roque Santa Cruz never quite lived up to the initial promise he showed coming through as a teenager at Olimpia in his native Paraguay, but he nevertheless carved out a very solid career for himself that took in spells at Bayern Munich, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Real Betis and Malaga.

Towards the end of his career in Europe, he had become useful pretty much only as a relatively static central reference point to receive the ball with his back to goal and attempt to bring others into play. Any mobility he once had was gone.

It may, then, come as a surprise to find out that Santa Cruz is still playing on, back in Paraguay at Olimpia. The 36-year-old is normally used more as an impact substitute than a starter these days but is still occasionally capable of decisive interventions.

For instance, he came off the bench to score the second goal in the club’s 2-0 win in the derby win over Cerro Porteno last May.

In December, his contract was extended for the calendar year of 2018.

#3 Emre Belozoglu

Emre Belozoglu in his spell at Newcastle in the Premier League

Emre Belozoglu initially made his name at Galatasaray, where he won four consecutive Turkish league titles, two Turkish cups and the UEFA Cup before departing for Inter Milan in 2001.

He was part of the Turkey side that reached the final four of the 2002 World Cup and also enjoyed a solid spell at Newcastle United before returning to Turkey, with Fenerbache, in 2008.

Now 37, he is still playing on in his homeland, now at Istanbul Basaksehir, the upstart side who came mightily close to winning the Turkish league last season. Not only that, but he is one of their key players, with four goals and eight assists last season and a further three goals and three assists during the current campaign to date.

One of the players he is tasked with providing chances for is Emmanuel Adebayor, the 33-year-old, ex-Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur striker.

A couple of competitive appearances for Turkey during 2017 showed that Emre still has enough quality to be considered one of the country’s best players despite his advancing years.

#2 Michael Essien

Michael Essien now plays in Indonesia

The Indonesian league raised its profile ahead of the 2017 season with the arrival of five well-known players. Carlton Cole, Didier Zokora, Mohamed Sissoko and Peter Odemwingie all represented big-name signings, but the most famous of the new arrivals was undoubtedly the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan midfielder Michael Essien.

The 35-year-old was once one of the best complete midfielders in world football but has gently drifted away from the spotlight in recent years. A bitty 18 months at Milan was followed by an injury-hit season at Panathinaikos in Greece. After over half a year out of the game, he returned by signing up with Persib Bandung for the 2017 Indonesian season.

Essien scored five times in 29 appearances (22 starts) for the side who finished a disappointing 13th in the final table, but his agent has confirmed that he will continue at the club for 2018 despite reported interest from European clubs.

#1 Rafael Marquez

Former Barcelona player Rafael Marquez is still playing at 38 in his native Mexico

Rafael Marquez was one of the few non-academy graduates to successfully traverse both the Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola eras at Barcelona. His assured style and superb passing range saw him heavily involved in the Champions League triumphs of both 2006 (under Rijkaard) and 2009 (under Guardiola).

Marquez left Barcelona in 2010, aged 31. But eight years after that, he is still playing professional football. After spells at New York Red Bulls in the United States, Leon in his native Mexico and Hellas Verona in Italy, he is now back at his first club, Atlas, and still going strong.

In fact, after involvement with the national team in 2017, Marquez still hopes to take part in his fifth World Cup with Mexico at Russia 2018.