The 31 Purest Athletes in Soccer Today

You know the type of player.

Every week they turn up and are as fully committed on the training ground as they are on the pitch.

They never seem to get tired and could probably play until they were 40 years of age.

They might not be the most professional of players sometimes, but they are imperative to the function of a team.

They look after themselves physically and are usually found to be at the top of their game.

Here are 31 of the purest soccer athletes playing the game today.

David James

David James is still playing football for Bristol City despite being well advanced in footballing years.

The former England goalkeeper has kept himself in incredible shape and still displays remarkable athleticism for a 41-year-old.

Brad Friedel

Another aging goalkeeper still going strong is Tottenham's Brad Friedel.

The American is 40 years old, but still looks strong between the posts for the Lilywhites.

Needless to say, you have to be in good shape to play into your 40s. Friedel has shown no signs of slowing down.

Patrice Evra

Manchester United defender Patrice Evra is another player who likes to bomb up and down the wing for his club.

One minute he will be clearing a corner, the next he will be attacking the penalty area and whipping in a cross.

Evra has been a great acquisition for Manchester United and is the club captain.

Leighton Baines

Everton defender Leighton Baines is an assist king for his club, largely due to the amount of times he gets forward in order to supply crosses.

It seems a common trait these days that a good full back must be able to deliver a cross as well as defend.

Baines is highly valued for his work rate, which sees him cover an average of 7.71 miles per game.

Ledley King

Apparently, Ledley King can't train more than once a week a lot of the time, and he rarely plays a number of games in a row.

So how is it that the big Englishman is able to be a top-notch defender when he does grace the field?

Some people are just naturally fit. King is one of them.

Roberto Carlos

Yes, believe it or not, Roberto Carlos is still playing despite being 38 years old, and his thighs are still as huge as ever.

Carlos now plays as a defensive midfielder for Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala, but was notorious for his marauding runs down the left wing for former club Real Madrid and Brazil.

Dani Alves

Barcelona and Brazil defender Dani Alves is another full back who's made this list.

Similar to the likes of Evra and Baines, Alves gets forward at any opportunity and can be just as effective in attack as he can in defence.

Dirk Kuyt

Liverpool striker-turned-midfielder Dirk Kuyt is one of the hardest-working players in the Premier League.

Kuyt is a fan favourite on Merseyside after his committed displays over the years, and he rarely seems to pick up injuries, which made him an important cog in the Rafa Benitez era for Liverpool.

Kuyt is approaching the twilight period of his career but is keen to keep on playing for Liverpool.

With performances such as the one against Manchester United at the weekend, Kenny Dalglish might just let him.

Park Ji Sung

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji Sung always seems to be favoured by Alex Ferguson in the big matches.

Park has terrific stamina and covers plenty of grass during his performances, which makes him a valuable asset.

He's not the most technically gifted player, but he makes up for it with graft.

Cristiano Ronaldo

When do you ever see Cristiano Ronaldo looking tired?

The Portuguese winger seems to have endless energy despite sprinting at breakneck speed throughout most of his games and throwing in tricks left, right and centre.

An impressive motor.

Scott Parker

Spurs midfielder Scott Parker has made a huge difference since he was signed by Harry Redknapp.

Parker is a workhorse and often looks tired during games. I have to stress that it 's just his appearance that makes him look tired, though, not his physical nuances.

Parker has amazing stamina and is a tough tackler.

Ramires

Chelsea midfielder Ramires has just suffered a nasty injury, but his performances prior were impressive displays of hard work.

Every team needs a player who will run the extra mile. Ramires is that guy for Chelsea.

Jack Wilshere

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is injured and looking at spending the whole season on the sidelines, which is a huge blow for the Gunners and England.

Wilshere is one of the hardest-working midfielders in England and covers an average 7.2 miles per game, according to The Daily Mail.

Stephen Ireland

Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland might not be your first thought when it comes to athletes, but his colleague Richard Dunne at Aston Villa would tell you otherwise.

Struck by injuries of late, Ireland will be looking to show his worth at Villa as soon as possible.

Ryan Giggs

Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs is now 38 years old and still plays regularly for one of the best teams in the world.

Rarely ever injured, Giggs seems to have defied the age barrier that ends a footballer's career in his early to mid-30s. He remains pretty quick when he wants to be.

Craig Bellamy

Liverpool forward Craig Bellamy demonstrated that he is still a top athlete when he ran non-stop against Manchester City in the recent Carling Cup semifinal second leg.

Considering his age and his knee issues, Bellamy puts some younger players to shame and prompted Kenny Dalgish to single out the forward for praise.

Raul Meireles

Chelsea midfielder Raul Meireles might not be getting the pitch time at Stamford Bridge as he did at Anfield, but in The Daily Mail states that Meireles was the fittest player Liverpool had. He covered an incredible 8.1 miles per game.

Lionel Messi

Barcelona star Lionel Messi is one of the fittest players at Barcelona, according to the club doctor.

Messi is one of the best players in the world. A lot of that ability comes from his fitness and ability to stay injury-free.

Gareth Bale

At one time, Spurs couldn't win with Gareth Bale on the team. Now the club value him at £150 million.

Bale is lightning-quick and has the energy of an energizer bunny to get up and down the left flank.

For a reference, contact Maicon.

Carlos Tevez

You can say what you want about Carlos Tevezs' temperament and lack of professionalism, but you can't knock his work ethic when he's on the pitch.

Tevez will chase and hound defenders all day long, which makes him a nightmare to play against.

Luis Suarez

Liverpool forward Luis Suarez is another player who likes to harass defenders and give them no time on the ball.

Suarez is Liverpool's forward-driving force and plays similarly to Carlos Tevez.

Ashley Young

Manchester United winger Ashley Young was the fittest player at Aston Villa, according to The Daily Mail and covered approximately 7.46 miles a game.

I don't expect that has changed much now that he's signed for Manchester United.

Any player with Young's speed coupled with his stamina is bound to be a defender's nightmare.

Thierry Henry

Arsenal loanee Thierry Henry is still scaring Premier League defenders at the age of 34.

Henry is still quick despite his age and is as lean as ever.

A true fan favourite with the Gunners, Henry will be hoping to reignite Arsenal's Champions League hopes.

Theo Walcott

When you think of an athlete, pace, agility and stamina come to mind.

If we're talking pace, then Theo Walcott definitely should get a mention.

Walcott was the Premier League's fastest player in 2009, according to Castrol and reported via The Sun.

Javier Mascherano

Defensive midfielder and jack-of-all-trades Javier Mascherano never seems to look tired despite covering miles of grass and making multiple tackles per game.

Mascherano became a huge success with Liverpool football club, which brought about a big money move to Barcelona.

Kevin Doyle

Another player perhaps not known worldwide is Kevin Doyle of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

His goal-scoring isn't anything to right home about, but Doyle will run till his lungs burst and is described as a hard worker with a great team ethic.

Peter Crouch

I have to admit that I found this hard to believe when I read it, but Peter Crouch was the second-fittest player in the Premier League last year.

Judging by his physique, I don't suppose I should be surprised about his fitness.

Crouch covered approximately 8.04 miles per game, according to The Daily Mail—a figure second to only Raul Meireles.

Who knew?

Frank Lampard

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard may not be a first-choice selection now under Andres Villas Boas, but the English midfielder once played in 164 consecutive Premier League games.

You don't tend to do that unless you're exceptionally talented and exceptionally fit.

David Beckham

David Beckham is still playing at the age of 36 and is hoping to make the Great Britain squad for the London 2012 Olympics.

Beckham always has himself extremely trim despite multiple injuries over the years and always puts in 100-percent effort on the pitch.

Xavi

Xavi is possibly one of the best players never to have won the FIFA Ballon d'Or after coming runner-up on multiple occasions to club-mate Lionel Messi.

Xavi's success comes largely from his ability to keep moving on the field and constantly find pockets of space. In order to do that, you can't be standing around.

Javier Zanetti

Javier Zanetti still pulls out all the stops for Serie A's Inter Milan despite being 38 years of age.

With the nickname of "El Tractor" it's easy to guess what he's known for - resilience and stamina if you're struggling.

Zanetti was the stand out player in the recent Milan derby.

After Thoughts

After looking back through this list of athletes, it becomes clear that a high proportion of the players are—or have been—at the top of their game at some point in their career.

If not, then they've certainly played for the top clubs and their respective national team.

A great athlete doesn't always make a great footballer, of course, but it certainly helps if you can run without tiring for 90 minutes.

Please take the time to comment on who you think could have made the list. No list is ever going to be exhaustive.

On Twitter? Follow me @petercwebster, where I post all my b/r content.

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