Ten world class footballers who retired too early
– Some player choose to retire very early due to injuries, others for family reasons
– Most footballers experience a career span of a decade and a half which is 15 years
While many footballer stay past their prime in football, others choose to leave the beautiful game at the peak of their powers.
The list you are about to go through includes players who voluntarily retired when it was obvious they could have offered more which means those forced to retired due to injuries are excluded.
We feel these players could have offered the world of football more thrills if only they had stayed for a few more years.
Below are the footballers who retired too early;
1. Austin Jay Jay Okocha: Probably the greatest Nigerian footballer ever. Okocha retired in 2008 after a spell with Hull City with injuries playing a part in his reduced numbers that season.
Austin Jay Jay Okocha
Many thought Jay Jay could have offered much more and for those who doubt his skill, watch his performance in the Joseph Yobo testimonial and be convinced.
2. Zinedane Zidane: Though Zidane retired at 34 after the 2006 World Cup final where he famously headbutted a certain Marco Materrazi.
Zinedine Zidane celebrates a goal for France
Zidane was probably the best player of the tournament and he could have won the 2006 Ballon D’or if he had won the World Cup and his performances in legends matches showed he should have stayed for at least another three years albeit at a lower level.
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3. George Best: Probably the best footballer of all time to come out of the UK retired first retired at 28 just after winning the Ballon D’or.
George best
George Best first announced his retirement at the end of the 1972 season, aged just 26 and having been Manchester United’s top scorer for the third consecutive season. Best did continue to play before announcing his retirement once more and leaving Manchester United aged 28, in 1974.
4. Eric Cantona: King Eric surprisingly retired at age 30 and a recent fans vote saw him named Man Utd’s greatest ever player despite playing for the team in just six years. Cantona revealed he wanted to be able to go out with friends, drink, etc, all the things he couldn’t do as an elite athlete.
Eric Cantona arrived at Manchester United from Leeds United and transformed the side as an attacking unit
5. Hidetoshi Nakata: Nakata was one of the best players in the world at the turn of the millennium. He played for the likes of Roma and Parma and is regarded as one of the best players to have ever come out of Asia.
Hidetoshi Nakata during his spell at Parma
He is now a model after retiring at age 29 which was by then his prime year.
Why did he retire? Nakata said the decision was based on the fact soccer was all he had ever known, and he was keen to travel the world and learn new things.
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6. David Bentley: Was once christened David beckham’s successor when he was at Blackburn Rovers. He was technically good and one of the best players in the Premier League for a number of years.
David Bentley
Like Nakata, he retired at 29 and said he did so because he fell out of love with the game. Bentley is a co-owner of a restaurant in Marbella, Spain, where he and his family had moved to
7. Paul Scholes: Remember when Alex Ferguson tried to sign a midfielder, couldn’t get one and told Scholes to come out of retirement?
Paul Scholes in his final season with Manchester United
Scholes first retired at 35 after the 2011 but came back to play a season and finally retired in 2013. His last season as a professional showed why he should never have hung up his boots.
8. Didier Deschamps: The current France coach was one of the best defensive midfielders of his time and he was captain when France won the 1998 World Cup and the 200 Euro’s.
Didier Deschamps as captain of the French national team
Deschamps had a successful career with the likes of Chelsea, Juventus and Marseille. He won the first ever revamped Champions League with Marseille and won another Champions League trophy with Juventus in 1996.
He led Valencia to the Champions League final, but he was only 32 when he hung up his boots.
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9. Emmanuel Petit: Petit scored the third goal for France as Les Blues defeated Brazil 3 – 1 to win the 1998 World Cup. He had a successful career with Arsenal.
Petit during his stint at Arsenal
Some would claim Petit’s retirement was forced through injury, but having undergone knee surgery he appeared to be fit again. Bolton offered him a contract but he had obviously made his mind up, and he retired aged 32.
10. Carlos Roa: The former Argentina goalie played in the 1998 World Cup as the South Americans defeated England on penalties. He won the Zamora Award as the best goalkeeper in Spain the same year and reached the Cup Winners’ Cup the year later.
Roa quit the game early. Goalkeeper usually have longer career in football
Then, in 1999, aged 30 and at the peak of his powers, Roa decided to call it a day. He hung up his gloves claiming he believed the world was going to end imminently and went on a religious retreat and retired.
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