5 Footballers you won't believe are still playing for big clubs

One of the most exhilarating aspects of the game of football is its wondrous unpredictability. To paraphrase Aunty Entity from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, one day you're cock of the walk, the next you're a feather duster. Well, yes, that’s about it.Once dubbed as the next big thing (with the exception of one player) these men faded into oblivion as individuals but still have their careers associated with the European giants. But due to very limited game time or out on loan at relatively unknown places, these players are something that people don’t talk about often these days.Here we look at five footballers who you cannot believe are still playing for high-profile clubs.

#5 Walter Samuel

Samuel has won five Serie A titles with Inter Milan

Former Boca Juniors, Real Madrid, AS Roma and Inter Milan defender Walter Samuel, who helped Inter win an unprecedented treble in 2010 is still having a kick-about. At FC Basel of Switzerland. Not bad for a player who turned 37 this year.

The Argentinean centre-back spent nine years with Inter Milan, winning five Italian Serie-A titles, three Coppa Italia trophies and a UEFA Champions League to go with it.

He was a permanent fixture in Jose Mourinho’s back four at Inter building a formidable partnership with then Brazil captain, Lucio.

Samuel, a winner of 16 major trophies, has not had the best of times at Basel though.

"In Walter Samuel, Basel have signed a very experienced player with a great personality to boot," gushed club president Bernhard Heusler.

Fast forward a year and the 37-year-old has only managed 14 appearances across all competitions. Perhaps the fact that he is edging towards forty has got something to do with it.

#4 Denis Cheryshev

There’s little hope for Cheryshev to break into Real’s starting XI

Twelve-years-old Denis Cheryshev joined Real Madrid’s youth system in 2002 in hopes to become a great footballer for the Spanish giants. Nearly fourteen years have gone by, Wayne Rooney has gone bald and has had a hair transplant, but the Russian is nowhere near Real’s first team plans, even though he is still under the club’s payroll.

The son of former Dynamo Moscow and Sporting Gijon forward Dmitri Cheryshev, the 24-year-old has spent the last two seasons on loan at Sevilla and Villarreal.

The winger, with bags of pace and creativity, is one of the many players who have fallen prey to Florentino Perez’s policy of signing ‘Galacticos’ every summer. With Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Isco Alarcon and Jesse Rodriguez all capable of playing where he can, there seems to be absolutely no means for him to break into Real’s starting XI.

A move away from the club is inevitable and imminent.

#3 Marko Marin

Marin was dubbed as the ‘German Messi’ in the early stages of his career

It is unbelievable that Marko Marin has still not sealed a permanent move away from Chelsea. The last time anyone had heard his name was when Chelsea confirmed that the once German international had signed a one-year loan deal with Turkish side Trabzonspor

The Turks have the option to sign him permanently after the completion of the loan.

Once dubbed the ‘German Messi’, the 26-year-old is sometimes referred to as the ‘German Freddy Adu’ by people of questionable credibility. And a banal sense of humour.

The former Werder Bremen star has just six Premier League appearances under his belt for Chelsea scoring just one goal and has previously spent loan spells at Sevilla, Fiorentina and Anderlecht.

Marin has 16 International caps and has played twice for Joachim Low’s German side at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Perhaps a lesser league and an unlimited supply of Turkish delights can help resurrect his steadily declining career.

#2 Fabio Borini

Borini decided to stay in Liverpool despite interests from Sunderland and Fiorentina

Italian forward Fabio Borini is fast establishing himself as the perennial loaner, excuse the pun, of the football world. Introduced to English football by Chelsea, where he played for their reserves in the 2008-09 season, and later made four first team appearances, he was soon sent out on loan to Swansea. Since then, he has had two further loan spells at AS Roma and Sunderland.

The 24-year-old has scored three goals in 38 games for Liverpool since making a £10.5 million switch back in 2012.

It really came as a surprise when he rejected permanent moves to both Sunderland and Fiorentina, where he would have got regular first-team action, and stayed put at Liverpool for the 2014-15 season.

After a dismal campaign on a personal level, the former Chelsea man was told he was surplus to requirements at Anfield at the end of last season. A move to Fiorentina might be on the cards before the end on this summer’s transfer window.

#1 Victor Moses

Moses was signed from Wigan Athletic back in 2012

The fact that Victor Moses is still at Chelsea is inconceivable to say the least. Stamford Bridge, the necropolis for a myriad of talented wingers and attacking midfielders in recent years, already boasts arguably the best attacking unit in the Premier League.

And the recent acquisition of Spanish international Pedro Rodriguez from FC Barcelona has made it all but certain that Moses is in for a torrid season in London.

Signed from Wigan Athletic for a paltry sum of just £8m back in 2012, the Nigerian international has spent only one full season with Chelsea before being loaned out to fellow English sides Liverpool and Stoke City.

Moses has featured for Chelsea in the pre-season tour of the United States this year but despite the departure of fellow flop Juan Cuadrado to Juventus on loan, it is quite difficult to picture him playing any pivotal role in the Champions plans for this year’s Premier League and Champions League campaigns.