An Arsenal icon, a Chelsea midfield maestro and a Tottenham Hotspur star are among the Premier League greats you might have thought had called it quits on football long ago.
The lifespan of footballers at the top tier is often incredibly brief; many struggle to break into their respective first teams until their mid-20s, while most decide to call it a day as they enter their 30s.
However, a few Premier League stars have chosen to significantly prolong their footballing careers by showcasing their skills abroad, or descending the football league hierarchy.
One example is Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still displaying his prowess with Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr at 40 years old, showing no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, 38-year-old Luis Suarez continues to dazzle at Inter Miami alongside Lionel Messi.
Here, Football.London has spotlighted eight former Premier League superstars who are still making waves elsewhere - despite widespread assumptions of retirement.
Pepe Reina
Pepe Reina had an extraordinary nine-year stint with Liverpool from 2005 to 2014, amassing 177 clean sheets in 394 appearances for the Reds before transferring to Bayern Munich for a mere £2.5million.
With an FA Cup, a League Cup and a Community Shield under his belt, Reina will be remembered as one of Liverpool's greatest-ever goalkeepers - but little has been mentioned of him on English soil since his exit.
After a year-long stint in Bavaria, Reina enjoyed three seasons with Napoli, followed by two years each at AC Milan (which included a brief loan to Aston Villa), Villarreal and Lazio before joining Como in July 2024.
Pepe Reina of Liverpool.
Pepe Reina will be remembered as a brilliant goalkeeper for Liverpool (Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
The 42-year-old seemed to be holding his own in Serie A during the first half of the season, boasting 11 appearances and two clean sheets.
However, he now appears to have been relegated to a backup role behind Jean Butez, who joined the club in January following a five-year spell at Antwerp. This resulted in Reina being benched as his 29-year-old replacement shines on the field.
Juan Mata
Juan Mata.
Juan Mata played for two Premier-League-winning teams (Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Having spent three years at Chelsea from 2011 to 2014, and an additional eight years at Manchester United, Juan Mata bid farewell to the Premier League with quite the trophy haul. His cabinet boasts two FA Cups, two Europa League titles, a Champions League and a Community Shield.
After a year with Galatasaray and another with Vissel Kobe, the now 36-year-old signed for Western Sydney Wanderers in September 2024, where he continues to perform on the pitch.
The Spaniard has clocked up 18 A-League appearances this season, scoring one goal and providing three assists.
Santi Cazorla
The streets of north London will forever remember the name Santi Cazorla. The Spaniard netted 29 goals and provided 44 assists in 180 appearances for Arsenal after his £12m transfer from Malaga in 2012.
After securing two FA Cups and two Community Shields with the Gunners in 2014 and 2015, Cazorla returned to Spain for a final spell with Villarreal - a club he had previously represented between 2003-2006 and 2007-2011.
Santi Cazorla.
Santi Cazorla won plenty with Arsenal (Image: Trond Tandberg/Getty Images)
After a two-year stint back home, he transferred to Saudi Pro League side Al Sadd in 2020, before making a nostalgic return to his boyhood club Ovideo in 2023.
The 40-year-old has contributed two goals and eight assists over the past two years, although his involvement has been sporadic since December, leaving his footballing future uncertain as his current contract nears its end in July.
Lukas Podolski
Another name that resonates with Arsenal fans is Lukas Podolski, who spent three memorable years with the Gunners between 2012 and 2015. With an FA Cup and a Community Shield to his name, Podolski bid farewell to the Emirates Stadium to join Galatasaray, before later signing for Vissel Kobe and Antalyaspor.
Arsenal's German striker Lukas Podolski (L) celebrates scoring their third goal.
Lukas Podolski is a famous name in north London (Image: GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
The 39-year-old midfielder, who has been playing for Ekstraklasa side Gornik Zabrze since July 2021, continues to be a vital part of the team. Despite his age, Podolski has proven he can still compete at a high level, with five goals and one assist in the 2024/25 season.
Roque Santa Cruz
Roque Santa Cruz, who started his career at Olimpia in 1997, made a name for himself at Bayern Munich, scoring 51 goals in 238 appearances. He then moved to Blackburn Rovers in 2007, scoring 29 goals in 80 games before making a £17m move to Manchester City.
Roque Santa Cruz shows his frustration.
Roque Santa Cruz failed to impress at Manchester City (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
However, he struggled to find form at the Etihad, was loaned back to Blackburn, and had stints at Betis and Malaga. In 2013, he made a permanent move to Malaga, before moving to Cruz Azul and then back to Olimpia.
In 2022, he transferred to Libertad, where he still plays today. The 43-year-old has played 133 games for the Paraguayan Primera Division team, scoring 25 goals and providing eight assists.
Jose Fonte
Jose Fonte of West Ham United.
Jose Fonte played for three Premier League teams, including West Ham (Image: Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United FC via Getty Images)
After leaving a trail at Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Ham United, towering centre-back Jose Fonte made the surprising move to Dalian Yifang in the Chinese Super League at 33 years old. Due to his veteran status, it is no shock that many fans might have assumed he hung up his boots by 2025.
Fonte's stint in China was brief, lasting only five months before he moved on to Lille, then Sporting Braga, and finally Casa Pia last year.
The 41-year-old has played 19 matches in Liga Portugal this season for Casa Pia, proudly wearing the captain's armband.
Toby Alderweireld
Toby Alderweireld.
Toby Alderweireld performed well for Spurs (Image: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
After a six-year spell with Tottenham Hotspur, Toby Alderweireld joined Al-Duhail in July 2021 to play in the Qatar Stars League. However, his time there was short-lived, as he signed with Royal Antwerp in Belgium on a three-year deal after just one season.
Fast forward to 2025, and the 36-year-old is leading Antwerp as captain - having made 132 appearances for the club since his arrival.
While Alderweireld had planned to retire at the end of the 2024/25 season, an early retirement may have been forced upon him due to a quadricep tear earlier this month, which is expected to sideline him for the remainder of the season.
In an emotional confession regarding his injury, Alderweireld said: "I never expected this... Right now, I don't have the words for this. What I do know is that I will do everything I can to wear that beautiful shirt one more time. To be captain of the most beautiful club in the world one more time...
"It will be a tough battle against time, and I know I'm not on the winning side. I want to thank everyone for the heart-warming messages and the support I've received. You are all fantastic!"
Yannick Bolasie
Yannick Bolaise.
Yannick Bolaise was solid for Crystal Palace (Image: Adam Fradgley - AMA/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images)
Yannick Bolasie continues to prove his resilience in football at 35 years old. Following his time at Crystal Palace and Everton, he ventured to Caykur Rizespor in 2021 before returning to British shores with a spell at Swansea throughout 2023 and 2024.
The winger later embarked on a Brazilian journey, signing for Criciuma, where he enjoyed a successful period.
Most recently, Bolasie switched to Cruzeiro ahead of the 2025 season and has already made a significant impact, scoring three times and setting up another goal in his opening 10 matches.
Join the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london's dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!
By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.
To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!
If you're curious, you can check out our privacy policy here.