Oh, is he still playing?!

[3 Colours Red]

...wearing a pair of Stoke City shorts, which is odd considering he never played for them and I doubt there's much demand for replicas in the French market.

Another Vahirua fact: he took the corner which lead to Tahiti's only goal at the 2013 Confederations Cup.

[Pérou Flaquettes]

Ex U21 French international (and ex Nantes, Nice, Lorient) Marama Vahirua, 38, still playing, for Tahitian club AS Dragon (his cousin Pascal Vahirua is probably more well-known abroad). Some of you, the more internationally-discerning OFTers on here, may remember him for his unusual and goal celebration routine, very Tahitian, clips below.

Marama Vahirua was actually playing in mainland France this weekend with his team AS Dragon for the 7th round of the French Cup, vs FC Versailles (5th tier of French football, amateurs/semi-pros). The Polynesians lost 2-0.

A game high in vintage value actually as there was also another (in)famous former pro on the pitch (playing for Versailles): the disgraced former Liverpool goalkeeper...

WARNING : DO NOT LOOK BELOW IF YOU’RE STILL FUMING AND THINK YOU KNOW WHO I MEAN.





































































































































































... Charles Itandje (36, ex Lens, France U21 and Cameroon, WC 2014).

[Third rate Leszno]

Cole played more than eighty games for the Rowdies over the course of three seasons.

I went to a couple of them, he was playing at a pace that suited him and he was still effective. Playing in St.Petersburg he’d have had a fucking great lifestyle too.

Although there are quite a few ex-EFL players out there I’m still surprised that more of them don’t consider the USL/NASL as a career extending option.

[Ray de Galles]

Kudos to a thread favourite :

https://twitter.com/NonLeaguePaper/status/1064839646662799360

[Southport Zeb]

I went to watch Matlock Town on Saturday, and they had ex-every-team-in-the-East-Midlands-and-Portsmouth striker Craig Westcarr playing up front. I had committed to adding him to this thread before I realised he's two years younger than me at 33. It's a sad day.

During his time at Kettering, Westcarr played against Southport a number of times. Following this one of the people I used to go to matches with coined the phrase "Craig Westcarritis". Absolutely no recollection of what the symptoms are.

[ursus arctos]

OK

Let's add "re-organisation or rebranding" to promotion or relegation.

[Kevin S]

Cole is almost certainly the only England international with more than 50 caps to have changed leagues without changing clubs or being relegated (or promoted).

Tampa Bay left the NASL to join the then less-prestigious USL after his first season.

<pedant>Peter Beardsley, for example, played the 1991-92 season with Everton in the Football League First Division, and the 1992-93 season with Everton in the Premier League.</pedant>

[ursus arctos]

Cole played more than eighty games for the Rowdies over the course of three seasons.

[Patrick Thistle]

He's been there more than one season?

[Capybara]

Now there's a challenge. Wiki tells us that Stuart Pearce was with Wealdstone from 1978 but doesn't say when he made his debut. If he turned out for them before the 79-80 season, then he played in the Southern League then the Alliance when the leagues were reorganised. Perhaps Wealdstone experts can advise. The caps, of course, came later.

[ursus arctos]

Cole is almost certainly the only England international with more than 50 caps to have changed leagues without changing clubs or being relegated (or promoted).

Tampa Bay left the NASL to join the then less-prestigious USL after his first season.

[Ray de Galles]

Hey, we're all here to learn.

Granted, sometimes that learning is that Phil Brown has somehow been at Swindon for six months but it's all education.

[Patrick Thistle]

Ah, my ignorance broadcast far and wide again

[Ray de Galles]

I was surprised to hear that too. MLS definitely where players are put out to pasture now.

Cole's team, Tampa Bay Rowdies, were playing in the USL - a level below MLS.

[Uros Predic]

I went to watch Matlock Town on Saturday, and they had ex-every-team-in-the-East-Midlands-and-Portsmouth striker Craig Westcarr playing up front. I had committed to adding him to this thread before I realised he's two years younger than me at 33. It's a sad day.

[Patrick Thistle]

I was surprised to hear that too. MLS definitely where players are put out to pasture now.

[Ray de Galles]

Oh, was Joe Cole still playing?

[Me Old Flower]

Former Aberdeen, Luton and Rapid Vienna midfielder Markus Heikkinen played the final game of his long career today here in Oulu today, retiring at the age of 40.

Once verbally agreed to join Doncaster before buggering off and signing for The Hatters instead.

[Patrick Thistle]

The latest WSC informs me that Julian Joachim is still playing non-league at the age of 44

[anton pulisov]

Kennedy Bakircioglu is apparently still playing, and putting in world class goal celebrations.

Well, it made my day anyway.

[Jobi1]

Possibly need to reinterpret the thread title a bit, but Alberto Gilardino is considering an offer from Piacenza. Definitely a career that didn't quite scale the heights it threatened to at times.

[3 Colours Red]

Much to my surprise, Cardiff's goalscorer at Stamford Bridge today was Sol Bamba, who I saw playing for Dunfermline a loooooong time ago. Also surprisingly, he's still only 33.

And better than Virgil van Dijk according to Colin. Not on yesterday's evidence, he's not... Dick van Dyke would probably have been better.

[blameless]

Much to my surprise, Cardiff's goalscorer at Stamford Bridge today was Sol Bamba, who I saw playing for Dunfermline a loooooong time ago. Also surprisingly, he's still only 33.

[ursus arctos]

Djalminha?

Bojinov can start a punch up in a phone booth and has been rumoured to have other off-field issues.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Djalminha! only seven clubs for him.