Fans may be surprised to learn that a number of former Premier League players are still competing professionally in 2025. Although a player’s career typically lasts only a short time, some players want to prolong that time as much as possible, even if it means lowering their skill level as they get older.
Although it’s generally accepted that players should retire in their mid-30s, this isn’t always the case, and contemporary athletes are even more fit than their predecessors. Despite being in their late 30s, Luka Modric and Luis Suárez are well-known examples of former Premier League players who are still active, and Cristiano Ronaldo is still playing at 40.
However, there are also certain names that were previously quite prominent in the English top flight and are surprisingly still seen on football fields even though they have been out of the spotlight for a time. In order to create an XI of former Premier League players that fans would be shocked to learn are still playing, we dug into the archives.
Defence & Keeper
Moreno, Mangala, Sakho, Mariappa, and Guzan
Brad Guzan will start in goal. Between 2008 and 2017, the American played for both Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, making 154 games in the English top division. Despite being forty years old, Guzan continues to play for Atlanta United in his home country of the United States. Adriana Mariappa, who played for Crystal Palace, Reading, and Watford in the top division for years, is on the right side of the backline. Since then, he has moved down the tiers to continue playing football, and he is currently signed with Wealdstone, a National League team.
Mamadou Sakho, one of the numerous players who had a falling out with Jurgen Klopp, and Eliaquim Mangala make up the centre-back duo. Both men played for Manchester City and Liverpool, two of the biggest teams in England. The former played 128 times in the Premier League overall and spent a number of years at Crystal Palace. While Mangala, who also had a spell on loan at Everton, is currently playing for Estoril in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, he is still playing for Torpedo Kutaisi in Georgia.
Alberto Moreno, a former Liverpool player, completes the defensive. He joined the Reds in 2014 and stayed with the team till the end of Jurgen Klopp’s tenure as manager of Anfield. He played nearly 150 games for Liverpool over the course of five years before leaving in 2019 to join Villareal. He currently plays for Como, a recently promoted Serie A team, under Cesc Fabregas.
Wingers and the midfield
Podolski, Jese Rodriguez, Kagawa, and Cazorla
We have Jese Rodriguez on the right flank of the midfield. Despite struggling in the Premier League, the former Stoke City player played for two of Europe’s top teams, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, and he won two Champions League titles with the latter. Despite being only 32, he has made the startling decision to relocate to Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia. It might be the move that helps him rediscover his shooting boots after a frustrating few years.
Surprisingly, eight years after appearing to be forced to retire from football due to injury while playing for Arsenal in 2016, Santi Cazorla is still playing for Real Oviedo in the Spanish second tier. In order to support the team he played for as a young player, he consented to play for the league’s minimum wage.
His midfield partner is none other than Shinji Kagawa. Known as one of the greatest Japanese football players in history, he played for Borussia Dortmund but also briefly played for Manchester United in England. Although his time at Old Trafford was short, he came with a lot of hype and continues to play football today. The 35-year-old, a 97-cap Japan international, is currently back in his own country, playing in the J1 League with Cerezo Osaka. Due to his advanced age of thirty, he is no longer seen as a consistent source of energy and is frequently confined to the bench.
Lukas Podolski, who was once with Arsenal, completes a bank of four experienced midfielders. The German, who has a lightning-fast left foot, may be one of the 15 football players who performed better for their nation than for their club, but he had a fantastic career, playing for teams like Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. He is 39 years old and plays for Gornick Zabrze in Poland as of 2025.
Santa Cruz and Berahino are strikers.
We have two strikers up front who were briefly teammates instead. First of all, a lot of fans will remember Saido Berahino, primarily due to how swiftly his top flight career collapsed. He looked amazing when he first came on the scene with West Bromwich Albion. In just his second season in the Premier League, he scored 20 goals and was destined for greatness. His bad attitude ultimately caused him to fail, and he soon departed the team. He only joined Tabor Sezana in late February 2025, yet he is currently 31 years old and plays for the team in Slovenia’s second division.
Roque Santa Cruz, a Premier League cult legend of the finest calibre, is joining him. The Paraguay international, who joined from Bayern Munich, scored 19 goals in his debut season with Blackburn Rovers, a team that attracted Manchester City’s attention.
Roque Santa Cruz scored 19 goals in his debut 2007/08 Premier League season with Blackburn 🎅
Here's some of the best… pic.twitter.com/pTdSIETqaj
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 28, 2024
In the summer of 2009, a transfer to the Eithad Stadium was enticing, but things didn’t really happen as planned. After struggling and scoring four goals in 24 games, the seasoned center-forward left for Ewood Park. He has performed all over the world since leaving England’s shores, and he is currently back in his home country of Paraguay, playing for Libertad in the Primera Division Apertura. Bravo, Roque! All at 43 years old!
An XI of Former Premier League Football Players Still Active
Place
The player
Age
Premier League team or teams
Present-day club
GK
Guzan, Brad
40
Middlesbrough and Aston Villa
United Atlanta
RB
Mariappa Adrian
38
Watford, Crystal Palace, and Reading
The Wealdstone
CB
Sakho Mamadou
35
Crystal Palace and Liverpool
Kutaisi Torpedo
CB
Mangala Eliaquim
34
City of Manchester and Everton
Estoril
LB
Moreno Alberto
32
Liverpool
Como
RM
Rodriguez, Jese
32
City of Stoke
Darul Ta’zim, Johor
CM
Cazorla Santi
40
The Arsenal
Actual Oviedo
CM
Kagawa Shinji
35
United Manchester
Osaka Cerezo
LM
Podolski Lukas
39
The Arsenal
Zabrze Gornik
ST
Berahino Saido
31
Stoke City & West Bromwich Albion
Sezana Tabor
ST
Santa Cruz Roque
43
Blackburn Rovers and City of Manchester
Freedom
xz
