The maddest career moves of football legends

We'd all love to travel the world playing football, wouldn't we? Well, these big names have followed that dream more literally than most.

From Mexico to Australia to Paraguay to Hong Kong, some of the game's most well-known stars raised eyebrows with these transfers – whether they were chasing a late career payday or taking the road less-travelled en route to greatness.

These are the maddest career moves made by football legends over the years...

32. Freddy Adu – Serbia

At 14, Freddy Adu was the great new hope of American soccer; by the age of 25, he was playing for Serbian outfit FK Jagodina.

Well, we say playing… Adu made a single appearance before moving on to the 11th club of his career: KuPS of Finland – where he terminated his contract barely three months after arriving.

31. Asamoah Gyan – UAE

Aged 25, Asamoah Gyan had just had a solid first 12 months with Premier League Sunderland – but the legendary Ghanaian striker would spend his prime years in… the UAE, joining Abu Dhabi-based Al Ain.

Spells in China, Turkey and India followed for Gyan – who never returned to Europe’s top five leagues and finished his career back in his homeland with Legion Cities FC.

30. Dixie Dean – Ireland

One of the greatest goalscorers in the history of English football, Dixie Dean was winding down when he joined Ireland’s Sligo Rovers in 1939 – but that didn’t stop the locals going absolutely wild for his signing.

Sligo train station was said to be overcome with people desperately clamouring to catch a glimpse of the legendary striker.

29. Peter Beardsley – Canada

When you think of Peter Beardsley, you probably think of him in the colours of Liverpool, Newcastle or England – but did you know he had not one but two stints with Canada's Vancouver Whitecaps?

Before he became one of English football's great entertainers, the diminutive dribbler spent time on the other side of the pond – in between spells at Carlisle United and Manchester United (yep).

28. Les Ferdinand – Turkey

These days, everyone seems to go and play in Turkey – but that was far from the case when QPR loaned a young Les Ferdinand out to Besiktas in 1988.

It was the only time in Sir Les’ career that he played abroad – and it yielded one of his two major trophies, the Turkish Cup. 

27. Taribo West – Iran

It would have been noteworthy enough if Taribo West had finished his career at Plymouth Argyle – but the Championship Manager favourite had time for one more club: Paykan of Iran.

The Asian nation became the eighth and final country in which the groovy-haired defender plied his trade – joining Qatar and Serbia, among others.

26. Terry McDermott – Cyprus

Terry McDermott got his hands on plenty of trophies throughout his career, the vast majority of them with Liverpool – but he also tasted glory twice with Newcastle, and twice more with Cypriot giants APOEL.

After a brief spell in Ireland with Cork City, the former England midfielder wrapped up his career in the eastern Mediterranean, lifting the 1985/86 Cypriot First Division title and 1986 Cypriot Super Cup.

25. Dimitar Berbatov – India

Just six years after scooping the Premier League Golden Boot as a Manchester United player, Dimitar Berbatov rocked up at Indian Super League outfit Kerala Blasters.

The Bulgarian great spent a little over six months with the Blasters, where he found himself deployed as a defensive midfielder by manager David James.

24. Daniele De Rossi – Argentina

Daniele De Rossi was almost a one-club man for Roma, only to make an unexpected move to Argentine giants Boca Juniors at the very end of his career.

It didn’t exactly go according to plan for the 2006 World Cup-winning midfielder, though: having signed a one-year deal with Boca in July 2019, he retired the following January.

23. Paul Mariner – Malta

An FA Cup and UEFA Cup winner with Ipswich Town, Paul Mariner spent the latter years of his career in Australia, the USA and, most intriguingly, Malta – where he briefly turned out for Naxxar Lions.

The ex-England striker’s time on the Mediterranean island coincided

22. Kazuyoshi Miura – Portugal

He’s hardly a household name, but Kazuyoshi Miura has to go down as one of the most remarkable footballers of all time – and he made headlines upon joining Portuguese second-tier outfit Oliveirense on loan in 2023.

A loan switch from Japan to Portugal is uncommon enough – but Miura made the move at the ripe old age of 55! Astonishing stuff from the man who’s played in four different decades.

21. Jackie Milburn – Northern Ireland

One of the most legendary players in Newcastle’s history, Jackie Milburn spent the first 14 years of his prolific career on Tyneside – before leaving for Linfield of Northern Ireland in 1957.

Wor Jackie became player-manager at the Belfast club, returning to England in 1960 to see out his playing days with London-based non-Leaguers Yiewsley. 

20. Nicky Butt – Hong Kong

Did you know that Nicky Butt won trophies on two different continents? Well, now you do. The former Manchester United and Newcastle midfielder made a surprise move to Hong Kong’s South China in 2010.

There, the six-time Premier League champion and 1998/99 treble winner lifted the 2010/11 Hong Kong League Cup – before hanging up his boots.

19. Zico – Japan

Dubbed the White Pele, Brazilian icon Zico is among the finest players of all time – and fans of Japanese club Kashima Antlers were treated to his brilliance in the early 90s.

Having come out of a brief retirement, Zico saw out his career with Kashima – and he later returned as manager and technical director in 1999 and 2018 respectively.

18. Mick Quinn – Greece

Quite the cult hero, Mick Quinn racked up plenty of goals for the likes of Portsmouth, Newcastle and Coventry City – but he also got on the scoresheet over in Greece, where he played for PAOK.

The Liverpool-born centre-forward joined PAOK as a free agent after leaving Coventry in May 1995, spending the last months of his career in a considerably warmer climate.

17. Marta – Sweden

Undoubtedly one of the all-time greats of the women’s game, Brazilian superstar Marta’s 2004 transfer to Sweden’s Umea IK was an eye-catching move.

The club had pedigree – they were the reigning European champions – but swapping Brazil for a small city in northern Scandinavia was still quite a left-field decision. 

16. Dalian Atkinson – South Korea

Aston Villa fan favourite Dalian Atkinson had already had spells abroad in Spain, Turkey, France and Saudi Arabia during the 90s – but he went even furth afield in 2001, joining South Korea’s Daejeon Citizen.

The striker’s stay there was a short one – as was his subsequent stint at fellow South Korean outfit Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

15. Maicon – San Marino

Having made a sizeable chunk of his club appearances in a stadium which could hold the population of San Marino twice over (the San Siro), Maicon incredibly finished his career in the tiny republic with Tre Penne (that’s Italian for ‘Three Feathers’, FYI).

That stunning move came after the 76-cap Brazilian right-back had returned to Europe with Italian minnows Sona in 2021.

14. Gabriel Batistuta – Qatar

An Argentina, Fiorentina and Roma icon, Gabriel Batistuta went out with a bang (in a way) by scoring typically prolifically for Qatari club Al-Arabi.

Batigol arrived in 2003, racked up 27 goals in 24 appearances – including 25 in his first Qatar Stars League campaign – then called it a day in 2005. 

13. Bobby Charlton – Australia

It’s easy to think that Bobby Charlton only ever played his club football for Manchester United – such is his untouchable legend status there – but he actually ended his career in Australia (via Preston North End and Ireland).

The late 1966 World Cup winner had fleeting stints with Newcastle KB United, Perth Azzurri and Blacktown City, hanging up his boots for good in 1980.

12. Robbie Fowler – Thailand

By the time Robbie Fowler joined Australian club North Queensland Fury in 2009, it wasn’t particularly unusual for veteran English players to head Down Under. But Thailand was a different proposition…

Following spells with the Fury and Perth Glory, Liverpool legend Fowler finished his playing days with MUFC (that’s Muangthong United – of course).

11. Alfredo Di Stefano – Colombia

Despite being promised to the winners of a friendly between River Plate and Torino in the wake of the 1949 Superga air disaster – which killed every member of the great Grande Torino team – Alfredo Di Stefano joined Millonarios of Colombia.

It worked out pretty well for Di Stefano in the end, though: the Argentine was snapped up by Real Madrid four years later and went on to cement truly iconic status.

10. David Rocastle – Malaysia

A two-time English champion with Arsenal – where his legend endures more than two decades on from his untimely passing – David Rocastle finished his career with Malaysian club Sabah.

Rocky joined Sabah on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea in 1999 and helped them to the final of the Malaysia FA Cup. 

9. Claudio Caniggia – Scotland

There were plenty of Argentine internationals in Serie A at the turn of the 21st century; there weren’t many – if any – in the Scottish Premier League, which made Claudio Caniggia’s 2000 arrival at Dundee quite a story.

Linking up with compatriot Ivano Bonetti, who he knew from his time in Italy, Caniggia wasted no time in becoming the Dee’s star man.

8. Steve Archibald – Barcelona

One of a handful of Scots to play in La Liga, Steve Archibald completed a £1.15m transfer from Tottenham to Barcelona in 1984.

In his first season at Camp Nou, the striker bagged 15 league goals to help Barca to their first Spanish title for 11 years.

7. Emmanuel Adebayor – Paraguay

Emmanuel Adebayor took the path well-trodden from Premier League to Turkish Super Lig as he wound down his career – so far, so standard – before throwing a curveball and heading to Paraguay.

The Togolese frontman joined the South American country’s most famous club, Olimpia – although he made just four appearances.

6. George Best – South Africa

Having spent the first 11 years of his career starring for Manchester United, George Best went very far afield in 1974, rocking up at South African outfit Jewish Guild.

The Johannesburg club was one of 10 Best played for during the final nine years of his career – which also took him to Ireland, Scotland, the USA and Australia.

5. Pele – USA

Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, but he’s still arguably only the second biggest name ever to play club football in the USA – because Pele got there some 48 years earlier.

Football’s first global superstar and Brazil’s undisputed greatest ever player, Pele came out of semi-retirement to sign for the New York Cosmos in 1975.

4. Pep Guardiola – Mexico

Having just about won it all with Barcelona as a player, Pep Guardiola left for spells in Italy and Qatar – before concluding his career with a surprise spell in Mexico.

The man who would become perhaps the best manager of all time spent a single season with Dorados de Sinaloa – under his future Manchester City assistant Juanma Lillo – before hanging up his boots in 2006.

3. Paul Gascoigne – China

Seven years after the infamous ‘dentist’s chair’ incident in Hong Kong, Paul Gascoigne found himself playing his club football in the Far East for Chinese club Gansu Tianma.

One of England’s greatest entertainers, Gazza played four games for Gansu Tianma – where he served as a player-coach. 

2. Roberto Carlos – Russia

Anzhi Makhachkala was dissolved in 2022 – 11 years after billionaire Suleyman Kerimov’s takeover allowed the club from the Russian republic of Dagestan to attract some very big names indeed.

Roberto Carlos was the biggest, and the legendary Brazilian left-back helped Anzhi qualify for the 2012/13 Europa League.

1. Rivaldo – Angola

In what must go down as one of the strangest transfers in history, Rivaldo prolonged his career by joining Angolan outfit Kabuscorp in January 2012 – three months shy of his 40th birthday.

That said, it probably shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise: the 1999 Ballon d’Or winner and 2002 world champion had previously spent two years at Uzbekistani club Bunyodkor.