Former Prem stars still playing abroad that you forgot about including Man Utd hero, infamous striker and 45-year-old

PREMIER LEAGUE stars can quickly go from being household names to last year’s news in the blink of an eye.

Football is a fast-moving sport and the stars we once adored are often quickly forgotten about.

, 34, is a prime example after news he had to play alongside Neymar.

Most fans likely didn’t realise he was still playing football after recent spells with Al-Duhail and Vasco da Gama.

He had spent seven months unemployed beforehand after Vasco ripped up his contract in February.

There are a number of other veteran stars playing abroad who haven’t featured in the Prem for years.

Sun Sport breaks down a list of footballers who you might have forgotten about who are still playing overseas.

Roque Santa Cruz, 45, Nacional (Paraguay)

Starting with perhaps the most surprising entry, the former Man City and Blackburn star is STILL playing in the Paraguayan top flight.

The forward just turned 45 last month but is still going strong with Nacional in his native Paraguay.

Santa Cruz – who also played for and Malaga – has netted four goals from 19 appearances this season to continue his incredible longevity.

Fixtures Results Table

Friday 18 September

Brentford

20:00

EPL

Chelsea

Saturday 19 September

Spurs

12:30

EPL

Villa

Brighton

15:00

EPL

Arsenal

Everton

15:00

EPL

Ipswich

Newcastle

15:00

EPL

Hull

Forest

17:30

EPL

Coventry

Monday 14 September

Sunday 13 September

Saturday 12 September

English Premier League Pld Pts GD W D L Form

1

4

12

7

4

0

0

2

4

12

6

4

0

0

3

4

8

4

2

2

0

4

4

8

3

2

2

0

5

4

7

8

2

1

1

6

4

7

1

2

1

1

7

4

6

3

1

3

0

8

4

6

2

1

3

0

Mario Balotelli, 36, Al-Ittifaq (Dubai)

A long way from the days of “Why always me?”, the former Italy international is now living a much more quiet life in the middle east.

Balotelli has spent the last two seasons with UAE outfit Al-Ittifaq and netted six goals last term.

He has become something of a journeyman striker in recent years after spells with Brescia, Monza, Sion, Genoa and Turkish outfit Adana Demirspor.

Shinji Kagawa, 37, Cerezo Osaka (Japan)

fans will remember the Japanese playmaker Kagawa after he signed in a £12m deal from in 2012.

But he struggled to dazzle under Sir and later before returning to the club in 2014.

The international ended up playing for PAOK in Greece and Sint-Triuden in Belgium before joining current side Cerezo Osaka in his home country.

Nani, 39, Aktobe (Kazakhstan)

Yes, is still playing football and I’m just as surprised as you are.

The ex-United star who won four Prem titles and the is now plying his trade in Kazakhstan of all places.

He initially retired in 2024 after a spell with Portuguese side Estrela Amadora before making a U-turn and signing for Aktobe in January.

Nani has since made 14 appearances for the club, scoring twice.

Christian Benteke, 35, Al-Wahda (Dubai)

Another former Prem striker playing his football in the UAE.

At his peak, Benteke banged in 19 goals for in the 2012-13 season and netted a total of 49 goals in 101 appearances.

That form earned him a £32.5m move to Liverpool, but the move didn’t work out and he went on to star for for six years.

Benteke then had four years with side DC United where he was a goal machine before joining Al-Wahda last year.

Gary Medel, 39, Universidad Catolica (Chile)

Remember the tough-tackling former star who spent one season with the Welsh club?

The Chile legend played 35 times for the Bluebirds in 2013-14 under but couldn’t prevent their relegation.

He then played for for three years and also had spells with Besiktas, Bologna and Vasco da Gama.

Medel – who has 161 caps for Chile – joined Catolica in his hometown last year.

Teemu Pukki, 36, HJK (Finland)

The former hitman has returned to Finnish side HJK, the team he last played for in 2011.

Pukki made a name for himself during his two-decades-long career and became known for his deadly ability in front of goal.

English football fans will recall that killer instinct during his time at Carrow Road, where he scored 88 times in 210 appearances.

Those goals earned Norwich two promotions and he departed as a beloved figure at the club.

He spent two years with MLS side Minnesota United before joining HSK in 2025.