Tiger Woods is aware of a factor or two about getting by plenty of golf equipment – and so do these footballers.
Some gamers, it appears, have continuously itchy toes and don’t stick round with the identical aspect for too lengthy – maybe not even in the identical nation.
Right here, we check out the sport’s final journeymen, from icons of the English decrease leagues to globetrotting South American stars.
Chris O’Grady
Chris O’Grady taking part in for Sheffield Wednesday in 2011 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
A League One and League Two promotion winner with Sheffield Wednesday and Rochdale respectively, striker Chris O’Grady performed for 17 skilled golf equipment in England – and scored for 14 of them.
In 2022, he dropped down into non-League with Ilkeston City, earlier than making Grantham City his nineteenth membership the next yr.
Ricardo Paez
Ricardo Paez taking part in for Mineros of Venezuela in 2013 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Throughout a profession spanning nearly twenty years, Venezuelan midfielder Ricardo Paez performed membership soccer in 11 international locations on 4 continents.
Along with his homeland – who he represented 64 instances – he had spells in Belgium – becoming a member of Commonplace Liege in 1997 – Argentina – the place he had stints with Boca Juniors and Lanus – Mexico, the UAE, Ecuador, Colombia, Romania, Greece, Peru and Spain.
Mohamed Kallon
Mohamed Kallon taking part in for Inter in 2003 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
A centre-forward who earned 39 caps for Sierra Leone, Mohamed Kallon hung out with an intriguing vary of golf equipment.
In addition to starring for giant European golf equipment like Inter and Monaco, he performed in Lebanon, Sweden, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Greece, the UAE, China and India – along with his dwelling nation, the place he had two stints along with his personal membership, FC Kallon.
Ailton
Ailton celebrates after scoring for Besiktas, 2005 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Whereas he’s best-known for his prolific exploits at Werder Bremen, the place he scored 88 Bundesliga targets and gained the 2003/04 German title, Brazilian striker Ailton turned out for greater than 20 golf equipment in all.
Among the many different outfits for whom he featured have been Besiktas, Purple Star Belgrade, UANL of Mexico and China’s Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic.
Kazuyoshi Miura
Kazuyoshi Miura taking part in for Genoa in 1994 (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
A rare man, Japanese legend Kazuyoshi Miura was nonetheless taking part in the sport professionally properly into his 50s.
In addition to starring prominently for numerous sides in Japan, the ahead – who scored 55 worldwide targets – has represented a string of Brazilian golf equipment – together with Santos and Palmeiras – and European outfits equivalent to Genoa and Dinamo Zagreb.
Nii Lamptey
Nii Lamptey taking part in for Coventry Metropolis in 1995 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Former Ghana midfielder Nii Lamptey had stints at 14 golf equipment in 12 international locations, starting with Belgian giants Anderlecht – the place he gained two league titles – and ending up with South Africa’s Jomo Cosmos.
The 1991 U-17 World Cup winner briefly performed within the Premier League, that includes for Aston Villa and their West Midlands rivals Coventry Metropolis.
Eduardo Hurtado
Eduardo Hurtado taking part in for the LA Galaxy in 1996 (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
One among Ecuador’s greatest-ever gamers, Eduardo Hurtado performed the sport for the perfect a part of 20 years, representing greater than 20 golf equipment in that point.
An imposing centre-forward who was nicknamed ‘El Tanque’ (‘The Tank’), Hurtado had a number of spells with LDU and Barcelona de Guayaquil in his homeland, and turned out overseas for, amongst others, Colo-Colo, the LA Galaxy and Hibernian.
Trevor Benjamin
Trevor Benjamin taking part in for Walsall in 2007 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
One of many go-to examples of a journeyman, Trevor Benjamin performed for 29 golf equipment within the area of 17 years.
The 2-cap Jamaica ahead performed Premier League soccer for Leicester however in the end dropped out of the skilled recreation in his late 20s, occurring to prove for a bunch of non-League outfits – amongst them Gainsborough Trinity, Kidsgrove Athletic and Morpeth City.
Steve Claridge
Steve Claridge holds is unveiled as player-manager of Weymouth, 2003 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Steve Claridge’s epic profession lasted nearly 1 / 4 of a century and noticed him rack up over 1,000 home appearances.
The ex-Leicester striker, a 1996/97 League Cup winner with the Foxes, had 10 golf equipment between 2004 and 2007 alone, together with Weymouth for the second of three spells – this one as player-manager.
Richard Pacquette
Richard Pacquette celebrates after scoring for Havant & Waterlooville towards Liverpool in 2008 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
The mid-2010s noticed striker Richard Pacquette cross the 30-club mark of an exceptionally itinerant profession that has taken him round England.
In 2008, Pacquette – who began out at QPR earlier than taking part in nearly completely in non-League – memorably gave Havant & Waterlooville the lead towards Liverpool at Anfield within the fourth spherical of the FA Cup.
John Burridge
John Burridge taking part in for Scarborough in 1994 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
A permanent presence between the sticks, goalkeeper John Burridge performed the sport for practically 30 years, taking to the pitch for 29 golf equipment.
A League Cup winner with Aston Villa in 1977, Burridge’s epic profession took him from Workington to Blyth Spartans through Aberdeen and Manchester Metropolis – the place in 1995, aged 43, he grew to become the Premier League’s oldest participant.
Sebastian Abreu
Sebastian Abreu celebrates after scoring for River Plate, 2008 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Along with taking part in for Uruguay at two World Cups, Sebastian Abreu made his method by 32 golf equipment in 11 international locations.
The 2011 Copa America-winning centre-forward obtained his palms on membership silverware in Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and El Salvador – in addition to that includes for European sides equivalent to Spain’s Deportivo La Coruna and Aris of Greece.
Tulio Maravilha
Tulio Maravilha celebrates after scoring in a charity match in Brazil, 2010 (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Brazilian striker Tulio Maravilha’s profession went on for over 30 years, starting and ending in his homeland.
A scorer of 13 targets in 15 worldwide video games between 1990 and 1995, Tulio performed for dozens of golf equipment simply in Brazil – plus Sion in Switzerland, Ujpest in Hungary, Jorge Wilstermann in Bolivia and Al-Shabab within the UAE.
Miodrag Andelkovic
Miodrag Andelkovic taking part in for Cerezo Osaka in 2004 (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Serbian frontman Miodrag Andelkovic retired in 2011, having featured for greater than 20 golf equipment throughout Europe, Asia, North America and South America.
Except for 5 spells with OFK Belgrade, Andelkovic’s employers included Spain’s Espanyol and Almeria, Brazilian giants Fluminense, South Korea’s Incheon United and Japan’s Cerezo Osaka, Irtysh Pavlodar of Kazakhstan and Canadian outfit Brantford Galaxy.
Jefferson Louis
Jefferson Louis celebrates after scoring for Wealdstone towards Colchester United within the FA Cup, 2015 (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
As of the beginning of the 2024/25 season, Jefferson Louis had modified golf equipment an astonishing 51 instances since starting his profession with Risborough Rangers in 1996.
The striker, who earned one cap for Dominica, has performed most of his soccer for non-League outfits in Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire and London, however he did make a variety of EFL appearances for Oxford United, Bristol Rovers and Mansfield City.
Lutz Pfannenstiel
Lutz Pfannenstiel pictured in 2019 (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
And the award for Soccer’s Final Journeyman goes to… Lutz Pfannenstiel, the globetrotting German goalkeeper who’s performed on all six inhabited continents (he was the primary footballer to take action, the truth is).
The previous Wimbledon, Nottingham Forest, Bradford Park Avenue and Huddersfield City man accomplished the set when he joined Brazilian outfit Atletico Hermann Aichinger in 2008, having beforehand ticked off Asia with Penang (Malaysia); Africa with Orlando Pirates (South Africa); Oceania with Dunedin Technical (New Zealand); and North America with the Calgary Mustangs (Canada).
