Here is a list of five players who came out of retirement to have yet another chance playing football.
By Seyifunmi Awobiyi
The decision to call it quits on a successful professional career in football is always a tough one.
For many, hanging the boots is permanent, for some others, they later come back to a place from where they stopped just for either the fun or to fill up spots in a team.
Here is a list of five players who resurrected from retirement for one last dance:
Wojciech Szczesny
The Polish shot-stopper, Wojciech Szczesny gave a thumbs-up to his career when he announced his retirement in August 2024. But La Liga giants, Barcelona convinced Szczesny to a one-year contract in October following the season-ending injury of first-choice keeper Marc Andre ter Stegen.
Arjen Robben
Bayern Munich will forever remember one of their best wingers, Arjen Robben. Known for his pace and stunning shots with his left foot, his retirement in 2019 brought sadness to the football world as no regen has been found with the same qualities. At least the world could watch him again in 2021 when he returned to action with the Dutch side, Groningen. However, his return was cut short by an injury that forced him to retire for good.
Petr Cech
Undisputedly Chelsea’s greatest goalkeeper, Petr Cech had a career to never forget saving the Blues from elimination in the 2012 UCL campaign. He hung his boots at Arsenal in 2019 and was later given a role as an advisor at Chelsea. However, an emergency came up leading the Czech keeper to be on the squad listing for the 2020/21 Premier League season. It may have been on a non-contract basis but he made his return with the Under 23s before finally hanging the boots.
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes was a man on a mission in 2012 and it was to bring the Premier League back to the red side of Manchester. He initially retired in 2011 but kept himself in shape with United’s reserve team. His return in January 2012 shocked everyone as he was on the list in the squad against Manchester City, which The Reds won 3-2. He went on to make 21 appearances across the season.
Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff had called it a career in 1978. But months after, he returned to the pitch with Los Angeles Aztecs after losing most of his earned fortune to a pig-farming scam. He later went to play for the Washington Diplomats then a short stint at Levante, before returning to his boyhood club Ajax in 1981, winning back-to-back league titles. His last move was to Feyenoord after Ajax failed to offer him a contract extension. His move to the club ended a league title drought spanning over a decade. He finally called it quits at the age of 37 in 1983.
