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Premier League’s ‘overage’ stars
In recent years there’s been a growing trend of ageing players being utilised to help the new generation.
Senior pros nearing the end of their careers have been brought into the youth set-ups of multiple clubs to offer support both on and off the pitch. Not only does it give them a new lease of life and a potential career after retirement, but it also provides the budding academy talents with an experienced head who has been there and done that.
It’s also commonplace for first-team stars to drop down to the under-21s when returning from a long-term injury lay-off, another useful experience for their much younger team-mates.
As many as five overage players can be included in the U21s squad of a Premier League 2 team. With that in mind, Daily Star Sport has taken a look at some of them who have been involved so far this season.
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Tom Huddleston
Former Tottenham midfielder Huddlestone, who turned 37 in December, scored the winner in the under-21 Manchester Derby earlier this week. He’s a player-coach for the Red Devils’ youth set-up.
Jay Spearing
Working in a similar capacity to Huddlestone but for Liverpool, Spearing re-joined his former club in the summer of 2022 after nine years away. Now 35, he’s still turning out regularly alongside his far younger team-mates.
Bradley Johnson
Former Leeds, Brighton and Norwich midfielder Johnson, 36, is another who’s a full-time Prem 2 star. He returned to Derby last summer, making six appearances so far this season in his player-coach role.
In recent years there’s been a growing trend of ageing players being utilised to help the new generation.
Senior pros nearing the end of their careers have been brought into the youth set-ups of multiple clubs to offer support both on and off the pitch. Not only does it give them a new lease of life and a potential career after retirement, but it also provides the budding academy talents with an experienced head who has been there and done that.
It’s also commonplace for first-team stars to drop down to the under-21s when returning from a long-term injury lay-off, another useful experience for their much younger team-mates.
As many as five overage players can be included in the U21s squad of a Premier League 2 team. With that in mind, Daily Star Sport has taken a look at some of them who have been involved so far this season.
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Seamus Coleman
While you can certainly see Coleman taking up coaching in the not too distant future, he’s still very much a part of Sean Dyche’s first-team squad at Goodison Park. The 35-year-old did, however, make an under-21 start when building back his fitness in November.
Sam Hutchinson
Once a Chelsea youth star, Hutchinson is no longer a spring chicken aged 34. He turned out for Reading’s youth side last month.
Ciaran Clark
Clark, 34, has made three Championship appearances for Stoke City and two for their youth team so far this campaign as he nears the end of his career.
