Soccer players make different choices when it comes to their club careers. Some players have opted to play for one club throughout their careers; some can decide to move to a few clubs after some time. However, there are some footballers that have played for many clubs.
In this article, we will take a look at the soccer players who have played for the most clubs. These players moved from club to club during their careers, and the number will shock you.
There are many factors that may cause a player to want to switch clubs. They include salary, injuries, bonuses, length of contracts, weather, relationship with the coaches, and the prospect of playing Champions League football.
A footballer who has play for many soccer clubs is known as a ‘journeyman’.
Here are the soccer players that have played for numerous clubs.
7. Andy Cole – 12 Clubs
Andy is widely considered to be one of the greatest strikers in the Premier League; he is also one of the football players that have played for many football clubs.
The legendary striker has played for some of the biggest clubs in the country, including Manchester United, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, and Sunderland.
But that’s not all – Cole has also plied his trade in The Football League for Bristol City, Birmingham City, Burnley, and Nottingham Forest.
He is also the fourth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history, with an astonishing 187 goals to his name. Cole used to hold the Premier League records for most goals scored in a 42-game season, with 34 goals.
Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke formed one of the deadliest attacking duos in football history.
6. Christian Vieri – 13 Clubs
Christian Vieri’s career in Italian football is nothing short of legendary. The center forward is among the most decorated strikers in the history of the sport.
Not only that, but Vieri has played for an astonishing 13 different clubs, seven of which were in the Italian Serie A, where he won the prestigious Serie A title twice with Juventus.
Christian Vieri played for a total of 13 football clubs during his career. He began his professional career with Torino in 1991-1992 before moving on to play for Pisa, Ravenna, Venezia, Atalanta, Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Lazio, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Monaco, Sampdoria, Fiorentina, and Atalanta again, in that order.
Vieri is also Italy’s highest-ever goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup, along with Roberto Baggio and Paolo Rossi, with a combined nine goals from nine matches at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.
5. Rivaldo – 15 Clubs
With an incredible career spanning over 24 years, this Brazilian legend was on the move a lot in the later years of his career. Rivaldo made his mark in football when he played for F.C. Barcelona for five years.
Rivaldo only announced his retirement early this year from professional football.
He has played in countries like Brazil, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Angola before returning to his home country to end this amazing career where it originally started.
In total, Rivaldo played for 15 clubs and was a regular in the Brazilian national team. He is also a FIFA World Cup winner with Brazil and a Ballon d’Or winner.
4. Marcus Bent – 18 Clubs
Marcus Bent is a 41-year-old English former professional footballer who has played for 18 different football clubs.
He played most of his career in the English Premier League, starting with Brentford in 1998. He has continued to switch clubs ever since.
Marcus Bent played for Middlesbrough, Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, Port Vale, and Sheffield United, among many others.
It would interest you to know that Marcus Bent currently plays as a forward for Eastern Counties League Division One North side Cornard United. ‘The Journeyman,’ as he is called, might still move again.
3. Lutz Pfannenstiel – 27 Clubs
Pfannenstiel was a German goalkeeper who held the record for being the first football player to play for a professional football club in each of the six recognized continental associations.
Lutz Pfannenstiel played for 27 different clubs in total. In his 20-year career, he played for so many clubs around the world, including Germany, England, Singapore, the United States, South Africa, Finland, Malaysia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Namibia, Norway, Armenia, New Zealand, and Albania.
He only played for the German under-17 national team and is currently a sporting director for St. Louis City SC.
2. John Burridge – 29 Clubs
John Burridge, whose career spanned from 1967 to 1997, played for 29 different clubs, even not competing in one season in the club before moving on.
He played in 771 domestic matches, and his longest stay was at Blackpool. Burridge also enjoyed success during his time at Newcastle and Aston Villa.
He was moved from one club to another countless times toward the end of his career.
While he was at Manchester City, he became one of the oldest players to appear in the Premier League, at 43 years, four months, and 26 days.
Currently, John Burridge works in the Indian Super League top division club Kerala Blasters as a goalkeeping Academy coach.
1. Sebastián Abreu – 34 Clubs
Sebastián Abreu was a top Uruguayan striker who played for 34 clubs in over 11 countries during his 24-year career.
He played for numerous South American clubs in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Brazil. He also had stints in Spain with Deportivo La Coruña and Real Sociedad.
He also featured for Aris Thessaloniki F.C. in Greece and Beitar Jerusalem in Israel. Sebastian Abreu was a regular for the Uruguayan national team, earning 70 caps and scoring 26 goals. This Journeyman was also a player-coach at the Uruguayan club Boston River.
However, Abreu is currently the manager of Peruvian club Universidad César Vallejo.
