Peter Pans
Nick Bidwell selects half-a-dozen veterans still going strong
The Dutch striker may like to tend
his cottage garden in his spare time,
but that does not mean the former
Holland international, with 76 caps
to his name, is gently winding down
his career.
Although usually deployed as
an impact sub these days, the 36-
year-old still plays with a spring in
his step and a burning desire to be
decisive where it matters.
Since rejoining Ajax in the
summer of 2017 after a seven-year
sojourn in Germany with Schalke,
his goal counter has continued to
whir, putting away no fewer than
45 chances over the last two-and-
a-half seasons.
Once described by Louis Van
Gaal as “the best striker in the world
inside the penalty area”, he remains
the master poacher and claims he
has no intention of retiring just yet.
“I’m in my mid-30s, have four
children, but still have the feeling
that I’m busy doing the youth thing,”
he says.
“My grown-up life will only start
when I quit the game.”JOAQUIN
REAL BETIS
The more arduous the route, the
greater the satisfaction at journey’s
end. Just ask the Betis winger and
captain who, at the age of 38,
struck his first hat-trick; a quick-fire
treble in the opening 20 minutes of
a 3-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao.
The green-and-white-striped
veteran is now the oldest player to
have notched three goals in a Liga
fixture, breaking a record set in
1964 by Real Madrid maestro
Alfredo Di Stefano.
For a beaming Joaquin, capped
51 times for Spain, it was certainly
worth the wait – 553 Spanishleague games in fact.
“I don’t know how I did it,” he
said afterwards. “I’m not a goleador.
I don’t think I’ll manage it again.”
The reaction of the Betis board
to his exploits? A new contract
which will take him through until
the summer of 2021.KLAAS-JAN
HUNTELAAR
AJAX
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