5 world-class players who ended up at surprising clubs

Eric Djemba-Djemba
Eric Djemba-Djemba

#1 Brazilian International plays in England's ninth tier

Socrates ended his career with English ninth tier side Garforth Town
Socrates ended his career with English ninth tier side Garforth Town

Named by Pele as one of the greatest players of all time, Socrates captained Brazil at the 1982 World Cup and a year later was named South American Player of the Year. It's fair to say then that Socrates was a good player. How then, did he end up finishing his career with Garforth Town, in the doldrums of English football?

The attacking midfielder made a single appearance for the Yorkshire side, back in 2004, 15 years after he had officially hung up his boots.

At the age of 50, Socrates was hardly in peak form, only managing a 12-minute cameo as a substitute in Northern Counties East Football League, the ninth tier of English football. He played as a favor to Garforth chairman Simon Clifford, a personal friend, and his appearance helped the club to a record attendance of over 3,000.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram
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