On the move - football's youngest journeymen

ByChristian Brooks

BBC Sport

Some of football's astir celebrated players stayed loyal to a azygous nine for their full career.

The Premier League's most-decorated player, Ryan Giggs, is one, truthful excessively AC Milan fable Paolo Maldini, Roma's Francesco Totti and Arsenal defender Tony Adams.

Perhaps immoderate existent players specified arsenic Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden mightiness articulation them too.

But determination are players astatine the different extremity of the spectrum, those who tin look backmost connected a lengthy database of employers, and sometimes portion their vocation is inactive successful its infancy.

The astir celebrated existent illustration is Jhon Duran, the former Aston Villa striker joining the seventh club of his vocation astatine the property of conscionable 22 past week.

He joins others who were successful information of acquiring the journeyman tag earlier their 23rd birthday. These are immoderate of those players.

Dubbed "the adjacent Pele" by some, Freddy Adu was signed by Nike astatine 13, played Major League Soccer for D.C. United astatine 14 and made his debut for the United States astatine 16.

Between 2004 and 2011, helium signed for 8 antithetic clubs, playing successful the US, Portugal, Monaco, Greece and Turkey - and adjacent completed a trial astatine Manchester United successful 2006 - each by the property of 22.

In 2012, Adu spoke of however signing for Benfica successful 2007 was "not a bully decision".

"As an 18-year-old, determination was excessively overmuch unit to triumph close distant and I went done 3 coaches successful 1 year."

Adu, present 37, past played successful 2021 for Osterlen FF successful Sweden.

In 2010, Croatian goalkeeper Matej Delac signed for Chelsea from Inter Zapresic.

Despite spending 8 years astatine the club, astir of his clip was spent connected loan. By the property of 22, he'd played for 8 antithetic clubs - without making a azygous competitory first-team quality for the Blues.

Delac, present 33, presently plays for AC Horsens successful Denmark.

In 2017, Watford signed 22-year-old Nathaniel Chalobah from Chelsea connected a five-year deal.

Although it was the midfielder's archetypal imperishable transportation of his career, helium had already completed six indebtedness spells (including 1 with the Hornets successful 2012), meaning helium had played for a full of 7 antithetic clubs by the property of 22.

Chalobah made an awesome commencement to beingness astatine Watford, earning a call-up to the elder England squad for the last circular of 2018 World Cup qualifiers. In October 2018, helium won his lone cap, coming connected arsenic a substitute successful a 3-2 Uefa Nations League triumph implicit Spain.

Now 31, he's presently without a nine having near Sheffield Wednesday pursuing the 2025–26 season.

Josh McEachran was regarded arsenic 1 of Chelsea's brightest prospects aft breaking into the archetypal squad arsenic a 17-year-old successful 2010, going connected to marque 22 elder appearances for the club.

He spent the 2014–15 play loaned to Dutch nine Vitesse Arnhem aft erstwhile indebtedness spells with Swansea, Middlesbrough, Watford and Wigan.

At the property of 22, helium signed for Brentford for an undisclosed fee - the seventh nine of his career.

At the clip of the move, the midfielder spoke astir it being time for him "to get out" of Chelsea and however the transportation would springiness him "stability".

McEachran, 33, spent past play with Bristol Rovers successful League Two.

Ryan Bertrand began his nonrecreational vocation astatine Chelsea and, by the property of 22, had played for six clubs pursuing aggregate indebtedness moves

These included 2 spells each astatine Bournemouth and Norwich City respectively, arsenic good arsenic indebtedness stints with Oldham Athletic, Reading and Nottingham Forest.

The erstwhile England planetary was loaned retired a full of 9 abstracted occasions portion astatine Chelsea earlier signing permanently for Southampton successful 2015, aged 25.

At Chelsea, the left-back made his European debut successful the Blues' triumph implicit Bayern Munich successful the 2012 final.

Bertrand has been retired of the crippled since leaving Leicester City successful 2023.

After opening his nonrecreational vocation with Dinamo Zagreb astatine the property of 16, highly rated Croatian midfielder Alen Halilovic earned a imperishable determination to Barcelona, wherever helium spent 2 years earlier joining Hamburg for a further 2 seasons.

During his clip astatine the Nou Camp, helium played chiefly for Barcelona B earlier spending the 2015–16 play connected indebtedness astatine Sporting Gijon.

After joining Hamburg successful 2016, helium was loaned retired to La Liga broadside Las Palmas during the 2017–18 campaign.

In 2018, soon aft his 22nd birthday, helium signed for AC Milan, the sixth nine of his vocation - portion Italy became the 4th antithetic state successful which helium had played.

The midfielder aboriginal had spells with Birmingham City and Reading. He present plays for Fortuna Sittard successful the Netherlands.

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson erstwhile claimed, external that 14-year-old Ravel Morrison was the astir talented youngster helium had seen astatine the nine since Paul Scholes. However, Morrison's vocation was hindered by ineligible issues and disciplinary problems.

He near United, signing for West Ham United successful 2012, wherever helium went connected to person indebtedness spells with Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City.

Before his 23rd birthday, he'd signed for Lazio successful Italy - his sixth nine successful 5 years.

Reflecting connected his vocation successful 2021, the midfielder described West Ham arsenic 1 of the astir "enjoyable" places helium played.

However, reports of a disagreement implicit a declaration with then-manager Sam Allardyce brought his clip with the Hammers to an end.

The 33-year-old present plays for Arabian Falcons F.C. successful the UAE Second Division.

By the property of 22, Nicolas Anelka had won the Double with Arsenal successful 1998 and the Champions League with Real Madrid successful 2000.

He began his vocation with Paris St-Germain but near successful 1997, saying helium was not playing capable and that a deficiency of first-team opportunities was harming his planetary prospects.

While astatine Arsenal, Anelka claimed helium was unhappy with the English media, whom helium accused of inventing stories astir him.

He moved to Real Madrid successful 1999 but struggled to settee successful Spain and re-signed for PSG successful 2000. He returned to the Premier League successful 2001, signing connected indebtedness for Liverpool aged 22.

In total, the Frenchman played for 12 clubs crossed 7 antithetic countries during his career.