Pass it or Past it?

With the end of another Premier League football season came the retirement of several high profile players. The 2013 season saw the curtains close on not only one of, if not the greatest manager in Sir Alex Ferguson but also Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Michael Owen, Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko, Jamie Carragher and many more. The question we ask is do football players retire too early?

The average career of a football player lasts around 15-20 years and the average retirement age is around 36. This compared to the UK National retirement age of 64 years is an early age to give up on the ‘beautiful game’. Are football players giving up due to the demands on the body or are they just past it?

The demands of football at elite level are extremely high with players competing for 90 minutes at around 70% VO2max, expending 18kCal/min and covering between 10 and 15km. During this time a player will complete multiple sprints, jumps, directional changes and interactions with both players and the ball. Elite players will get a rest ratio of 1:2, so for every 10 seconds of exertion they have 20 seconds rest per match.

One reason for early retirement could be due to fatigue. Elite players start their careers around the age of 16. Training daily with some teams playing around 3 games in 10 days with European and Cup matches, rest periods are shorter between matches. As we age recovery times become increasingly longer after high intensity exercise. This cumulative effect can increase the risk of injury and also reduces athletic performance. 

Another reason could be due to injuries sustained during their careers. As we age injury recovery time increases and it becomes increasingly difficult to get back to full fitness. With peak fitness being between 25 and 35, once players pass this point their ageing muscles can not cope with the physical demands of high intensity sport. 

An important factor for many players is that they want to go out on top, at the peak of their playing careers, before they lose their skills and are surpassed by the new elite. If an ageing player is 5% short of the level needed to perform for 90 minutes then they could concede speed and endurance to the opposition that leads to the games decisive moment. Players want to be remembered as winners and not for their mistakes. 

With the advances made in sports science, medicine and rehabilitation measures it is feasible that players could go on past their 30's and into their 40's providing they look after their bodies. When you compare footballers to Ironman competitors who have been known to compete into their 70s could they go on that bit longer? 

Is it a case of going out on top or continuing to play the game they love? Maybe training programs should be adapted to meet their ongoing needs and goals? Or shall we just be happy that we have had the pleasure of witnessing some of the greatest players in the world’s most popular sport?

Please feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions below.