Who says age should be a barrier in the English Premier League?
There are 35 footballers over the age of 33 who have been defying their years in the top flight this season.
With the 2021/22 Premiership campaign drawing to a close on Sunday, the team at betting.com have assessed the season’s statistics to reveal the oldest players to have featured in each position during this Premier League season, assembling them into a starting eleven.
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To feature in this XI, a player needs to have made at least one appearance - as a starter or substitute - for one of the 20 teams to feature in the Premier League this season.
The team contains information on the date of the match that each player featured in where they were at their oldest, and the exact age that they were on that particular date.
Here it is...
1. Willy Caballero, Southampton - Goalkeeper
40 Years, 2 Months, 17 Days on 15/12/2021
There was fierce competition to be the oldest goalkeeper of the 2021/22 Premier League season, with 11 of the 25 oldest players to feature in the league positioned between the sticks.
However, no goalkeeper was older than Southampton’s substitute keeper Willy Caballero, who was 40-years-old when he made his second of two Premier League appearances.
That appearance - a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace - also made the former Argentina international the oldest player in any position to feature in the Premier League this season.
2. Seamus Coleman, Everton - Right Back
33 Years, 7 Months, 8 Days on 19/05/2022
Despite being the oldest man to play in the right-back position in 2021/22, Irishman Seamus Coleman is the youngest player in the Oldest Premier League XI.
On his latest appearance for his beloved Everton, Coleman captained his side to a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace - ensuring the Merseyside club’s survival in the Premier League.
The victory more than made up for the right-back’s previous outing against Brentford, in which he scored an own goal and saw his side fall to a crushing 3-2 defeat.
3. Thiago Silva, Chelsea - Centre Back
37 Years, 7 Months, 27 Days on 19/05/2022
Not only is Thiago Silva the oldest player to feature in his position this season, but he is also the oldest goalscorer in the Premier League 2021/22.
The legendary Brazilian defender netted against Chelsea’s London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on January 23rd 2022 - he was 37 years, 4 months and 1 day old at the time of his goal.
4. Jonny Evans, Leicester - Centre Back
34 Years, 4 Months, 16 Days on 19/05/2022
Joining Thiago Silva at centre-back is Leicester and Northern Ireland's Jonny Evans, who made his latest appearance for the Foxes 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
The same match also featured his Oldest XI defensive partner - Chelsea’s Thiago Silva was his opponent in that game.
5. Ashley Young, Aston Villa - Left Back
36 Years, 9 Months, 28 Days on 07/05/2022
Not many foresaw Ashley Young returning to his former club Aston Villa at the start of the season, but after making 23 appearances for the Villains in 2021/22, there is no doubting that the former England international has made the left-back position at the club his own.
6. Fernandinho, Manchester City - Midfielder
37 years, 11 days on 15/05/2022
After first joining Manchester City in 2013, going on to make 263 appearances and win four Premier League titles with the club, Fernandinho finally looks set to say farewell to Manchester at the end of the 2021/22 season.
He made his latest appearance in a frustrating 2-2 draw away to West Ham, but a final appearance in sky blue at home to Aston Villa may be on the cards on the final day of the season, as Fernandinho pushes for a fifth league title with the Citizens.
7. James Milner, Liverpool - Midfielder
36 years, 4 months, 13 days on 17/05/2022
Milner is a man who just won’t stop. After being released from Manchester City in 2015, many would have forgiven Milner for easing into a comfortable retirement.
Instead, he went on to make 198 Premier League appearances and counting for Liverpool, getting his hands on almost every trophy available in the process.
He made his latest appearance as Liverpool beat Southampton 2-1 away from home, with the Merseyside club still pushing for the Premier League title.
8. Joao Moutinho, Wolves - Midfielder
35 years, 8 months, 7 days on 15/05/2022
The experienced head of Joao Moutinho looks to have helped guide Wolves to a top-half finish once again, as we approach the final game week of the 2021/22 season.
The Portuguese midfielder made his latest appearance in a 1-1 draw with bottom of the table Norwich.
9. Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United - Forward
37 years, 3 months, 2 days on 07/05/2022
Cristiano Ronaldo has made 226 appearances and scored 102 goals for Manchester United across two spells. However, his latest appearance for the club was not one for the Portuguese striker to remember - a 4-0 defeat away to Brighton.
10. Jamie Vardy, Leicester - Forward
35 years, 4 months, 8 days on 19/05/2022
Leicester City’s legendary striker is showing no signs of slowing down. At the age of 35, Vardy took centre stage in the Foxes’ 5-1 dismantling of Watford, scoring two goals to bring his season tally to 14 goals before partaking in a 1-1 with Chelsea just four days later.
11. Shane Long, Southampton - Forward
35 years, 3 months, 8 days on 30/04/2022
Now in the latter stages of his career, Irish striker Shane Long has played a bit-part role for his beloved Southampton side this season, featuring in just 12 games.
However, his appearance off the bench in Southampton’s 2-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace was enough to earn the Premier League legend a spot in this season’s oldest XI.Premier League 2021/22.
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