Famous footballers you forgot about that are still active

• A footballer’s career is always short and when one prominent name disappears from the limelight, it doesn’t take long before he is forgotten
• From Luis Nani to Santi Cazorla, there are several footballers you forgot about that are still playing
• Currently aged 37, Nani is enjoying the last days of his football career playing for Adana Demirspor

From Manchester United‘s skilled winger Luis Nani to Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla, there are several footballers you forgot about that are still playing.

A footballer’s career is always short and when one prominent name disappears from the limelight, many fans quickly forget about him and even assume that he already retired. There are several stars we forgot about that no longer play such as Demba Ba, Gael Clichy and Alex Song. But there are others still playing yet a good number of fans already forgot about.

This article brings you five established footballers you forgot about that are still playing despite being in their late 30s.

1. Luis Nani

Luis Nani. Photo/ Transfermarkt.

Starting our list of footballers you forgot about that are still playing is former Manchester United star Luis Nani. A youth product of Sporting CP, Nani had a stellar career that he will look back into after retirement and be happy about. The Portuguese was a menace to many defenders at his peak and won numerous trophies during his time with Manchester United.

Nani spent eight years at Old Trafford and then moved to Fenerbahce. Unfortunately, he has never settled down since leaving Manchester United and has played for various clubs including Valencia, Sporting CP, Orlando City and Melbourne Victory. Currently aged 37, Nani is enjoying the last days of his football career playing for Adana Demirspor.

2. Salomon Kalou 

Many remember Salomon Kalou for his time at Chelsea. With the English club he had a stellar career and won the Premier League title and the UEFA Champions League, among other trophies. Kalou left the Blues in 2012 and signed with Lille. After a short spell with the French side, he moved to Germany where he spend six years playing for Hertha Berlin

Kalou returned to Africa in 2022 after spending one season at Botafogo and currently plays for Djibouti club Arta/Solar7.

3. Santi Cazorla

Santi Cazorla. Photo/ Goal.com.

A name that many Arsenal fans are familiar with, Santi Cazorla is one of the footballers you forgot about. Cazorla joined Arsenal in 2012 as one of the top talents in the football world. The Spain international was sensational and left many impressed with his performances during matches. He is among few players who have recorded four assists in one game.

While Cazorla did spend six years at Arsenal, he didn’t have a more glittering career due to injuries. The 39-year-old is spending the last years of his professional career playing in his native Spain and is currently signed to Real Oviedo.

4. Arturo Vidal 

It’s been years since the name Arturo Vidal made headlines in the football world. As a result, it wouldn’t be a surprise to realize that there are several football fans who completely forgot about him. But at the age of 36, the Chilean legendary midfielder is still going strong and is currently playing for Colo-Colo back in his home country.

Vidal was one of the best midfielders in the world at the peak of his career and played for several top European clubs, including Juventus, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. He won league titles playing for all the clubs aforementioned.

5. Alexandre Pato

Alexandre Pato. Photo/ Sky Sports.

When Alexandre Pato emerged from Brazil, his star was shining brightly and everyone predicted that he would become one of the best footballers of all time. The forward signed with AC Milan in August 2007 for a fee of about €24 million and started his career in Europe well just as expected. One of his most outstanding performances was against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League when he scored a spectacular solo goal.

However, things never worked well with Pato who struggled with injuries which led to him losing his form. He returned to Brazil in 2013 and joined Corinthians in order to attempt reviving his career. Despite loan spells at clubs such as Chelsea, the wonderkid never reached his full heights. Pato is one of the footballers you forgot about and he’s currently playing for Sao Paulo.