So I was kind of bored, twiddling my thumbs or chewing the fat as an old Army Sargent of mine used to say... and I remembered I had written about a couple of old fogies still playing football, so I said to myself; "Self, let's look up and see who in tarnations is the oldest player still active". So here we go... I was surprised to see so many older players still out there and doing what they do best, which is kicking a little ball and making tons of mullah for a living! What a great life they have and I envy every single one of them. Most of the Grandfathers of Football are actually Keepers. Who better to start this off then our very own Kasey Keller, soon to be a Seattle Sounder who at 39 seems to still be on top of the game. Another team USA veteran is Brad Friedel who will be 38 next May and he's still playing strong. To conclude with the USA, striker Brian McBride turned 36 in June. But thats nothing ladies and gents, nope, we are just getting started. Teddy Sheringham who now plays for Colchester United is 42 and plans to call it quits this year. AC Milan star Paolo Maldini turned the big 4-O this June and he claims to be ready to end it this year too, but a little birdy told me he might stick around another year just for s#@*! and giggles!Colombian Rene Higuita is 41 and he recently stated he wants to play till he turns 45. Other players getting up there in age are Juan Carlos Henao 37, Carlos Navarro Montoya who will soon turn 42. Ecuadorian keeper Jacinto Espinoza is 38, Peruvians Jorge Soto is 37, Roberto "Chorillano" Palacios is 36 and striker German Carty is 39 . Colombian Defender Ever Palacios is also 39. Paraguay's World Cup Veteran Jose Saturnino Cardozo is going to be 37 as well as his WC teammate Carlos Gamarra.MLS has a legion of old timers led by Canadian Pat Onstad 40 and Mexican veteran of a million battles, the original "Emperor" Claudio Suarez who will also turn 40. OK, and no one is better then Ezra! (get it?) St Vincents very own Ezra Hendrickson is 36 and will soon be followed by ex L.A. Galaxy Abel Xavier, Preston Burpo and Diego Gutierrez. Brazil's Romario de Souza Faria better known as... wait for it, "Romario" (Sometimes I just kill me!) is 42. He will retire with a game between Flamengo and Barcelona in Rio's Maracana stadium. His former Brazil teammate Cafu is 37 and Paulo Sergio Rosa aka "Viola" is 39.But the king of the old men of football is Brazil's oldest active player Pedro Ribeiro Lima who is 58! Lima currently plays for Desportiva Perilima and he recently said that he wants to keep playing until he is 60. He beat out previous record holder English winger Stanley Matthews, who represented Maltese outfit Hibernians until he reached 55, and the ageless Cameroonian Roger Milla , the oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, he was 42.Taken from a blog I wrote on the Orlando Sentinel March 8, 2008
