20 World Football Players Playing in the Wrong Era

What does it mean when a footballer is said to be playing out of their time?

In the case of Michael Owen, the reasoning was obvious. Shorn of his youthful pace, the former Ballon d'Or winner became left behind by the modern game and unable to reinvent himself as anything other than a fairly simple and direct goalscorer.

He became an anachronism: an obsolete poacher in age of false nines and the 4-6-0 formation.

Many other players have suffered similar fates over the years, while others appear to have either been left behind by the times or born too soon for the game to catch up with their own unique way of playing.

Over the next 20 slides we'll look at the footballers playing today who appear to have been deposited in the wrong era.

From outmoded midfielders to imperfect prototypes let loose on the game a decade or so too early, the list will look at the variety of reasons why such players are out of sync with the present.

Whether you agree, disagree or have your own suggestions for current or past footballers who played as if from a different period, please let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.

Now let's get started. Hit the button below or head to the directional arrows so that we can begin.

Andrea Pirlo

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As Jonathan Wilson so succinctly wrote in his recent Bleacher Report column:

"

To watch Pirlo at his best is to see a game in sepia; to drift into a gorgeous nostalgia in which football was played without rush by debonair men who stroked the ball about.

We call him old-fashioned because he doesn’t quite seem of our age, and we presume there must have been a time in which he fitted, but there never was such a time. Read match reports of the 1890s or the pioneering tactical columns in the Sheffield Green'Un, and you’ll find just the same complaints about football’s emphasis on speed as you find today.

But it’s nice to believe there was, and it’s a mark of Pirlo’s greatness that he can awake nostalgia for a golden age that never existed.

"

Whether or not the golden age many believe Andrea Pirlo belonged to ever existed, the Italian regista's on-the-pitch awareness and passing range can seem otherworldly as his intelligence and technique overcomes far greater and more obviously powerful foes.

However, Wilson also notes in his piece that Pirlo could well be a player who is, to some extent, before his time with the game potentially heading toward a future that would be perfect for his abilities.

Whether the Italian is a wonderful relic of a bygone age or a technocrat from a time yet to come, it's likely that he would never quite fit in any era he was deposited into. Pirlo's unique excellence is such that he would stand out from almost any collection of peers from any period.

Juan Roman Riquelme

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While Pirlo could yet be a man of the future instead of the past, Juan Roman Riquelme is undoubtably an anachronism of Argentina's traditional football culture.

The last of the Enganches, a label that translates as "the hook," can be found back in his old stomping grounds of Buenos Aires for Boca Juniors.

Unlike most of the modern playmakers thriving in world football today, Riquelme is a less mobile player and one that doesn't care for chasing down opponents and winning the ball. The ball often has to come to him.

Once he has possession, however, his every idea and play drips with reverence for the heritage he represents and the footballing lineage that could soon end once he has retired. When receiving the ball, he often halts the play and takes a moment to survey the field, as if standing on the ball will somehow slow down history's relentless march of progress that has left his kind behind.

European football fans will remember his time at Villarreal under Manuel Pellegrini with fondness or perhaps his turn as Argentina's key player in the 2006 World Cup. Jose Pekerman's decision to take off the cult hero on the 72nd minute with his team 1-0 up against Germany is now seen as the fatal blow that led to La Albiceleste's quarter-final collapse.

Before his departure from the field, Argentina had grown into the tournament to become favourites, while Riquelme famously missed a penalty to allow Arsenal to edge past Villarreal to reach the Champions League final in 2006.

Riquelme may well be one of football's evolutionary dead-ends, but he came so close to drawing a line under the history of the Enganche with the two greatest prizes on offer to a footballer of any era.

Wesley Sneijder

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If Riquelme and the Enganche have become endangered by the death of a tradition, Wesley Sneijder's downfall as a niche specialist was almost wholly self-inflicted.

As the creative fulcrum of Jose Mourinho's treble-winning Internazionale, Sneijder missed out on being named 2010's World Player of the Year after being beaten by Lionel Messi.

What followed was a downward spiral of contract wrangling, the player himself deciding to retract his role into that of a classical No. 10 and injuries that hampered his form.

Sir Alex Ferguson was thought to have been close to signing the Dutch playmaker in 2011 and 2012 but his wage demands were said to have been deemed impossible by the Old Trafford hierarchy.

Now at Galatasaray, Sneijder has continued to refuse to get with the times and return to playing in a way that is less demanding of his teammates and more disposed to the modern game.

Sadly his self-imposed exile to the past has cost this era of football one of its potential greats.

Dimitar Berbatov

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Imagine if Dimitar Berbatov had come to prominence in an age before pressing, where players weren't so quick to close each other down and cut out any potential space to play in.

The urbane Bulgarian would have been a giant of such an age, with his nigh-on aristocratic approach to playing football and leading the line.

Unlike many great artistes, however, Berbatov is also able to boast a not inconsiderable physique to back up his abilities, allying his flair with strength to battle and hold off defenders when the mood takes him.

Had he been active in the days of Ferenc Puskas and Lazlo Kubala he may well have enjoyed a similar impact as a legendary titan of footballing refinement, reaching out into history from the 1950s.

Lee Cattermole

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Lee Cattermole does not lack talent as a footballer.

However, the midfielder's intense on-field aggression and violent approach to winning the ball has rarely endeared him to neutral fans and often draws apologies rather than pride out of his own supporters.

Football has moved on to become a far less physical sport than it once was, and it's not absurd to think that Cattermole, with his eye for a pass and decent reading of the game, could have thrived in more permissive times where occasionally brutality was allowed.

As John Nicholson put it during Sunderland's match at United at the weekend:

"

Lee Cattermole is a loss to early 1980s football

— John Nicholson (@JohnnyTheNic) October 5, 2013"

Josh McEachran

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As Arsenal's Jack Wilshere emerged from his club's reserves as England's latest hope for a more sophisticated future, those in the know were instead gossiping about Josh McEachran.

The rakish Chelsea youngster was said to be an even greater prospect than Wilshere, with superlatives draped over his first touch, technique, tactical awareness, intelligence and more.

Yet while Arsenal's boy wonder has gone from strength to strength at club and international level, McEachran is still waiting to make his breakthrough.

Loan spells at Swansea, Middlesbrough and now Watford have so far failed to ignite his potential, with his lack of physical power often overruling his talents, with the midfielder regularly knocked off the ball and muscled out of games.

This in part has curtailed his confidence and creativity when given the opportunity to show what he can do when in possession.

Perhaps McEachran came too soon.

With the FA's much-hyped St George's Park now open, designed to as the foundation to a renewed focus on youth development and technical skills, he was maybe born five or 10 years too early.

Of course, Chelsea also have to take responsibility for his lack of progress, especially considering how highly rated he is within the club, but with new and exciting youngsters such as Marco van Ginkel and Ruben Loftus-Cheek now demanding the coaching staff's attentions, it seems McEachran's time has now passed before it ever came.

Anderson

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Before the dawn of true professionalism amid football's past, heady culture of excessive drinking, unhealthy feasting and poor training performances, Anderson's rotund frame and lack of stamina may not have been so much of a problem. In fact, his proportions may have been rather regular.

Amid the hypercompetition of today, however, the Brazilian often sticks out for all the wrong reasons.

Rather than adding the power, penetration and ideas that United need in midfield, he adds girth.

Judging by promotional and behind-the-scene videos of him with his teammates, Anderson looks to be a popular member of the Old Trafford squad.

Yet regardless of how well-liked the Brazilian may be, a quick browse of his Instagram feed shows a man in love with his food, and not always in the smartest of portion sizes for a professional Premier League footballer.

If Anderson had instead played in the days of Neil "Razor" Ruddock or been a part of the generation of heavy boozers such as Bryan Robson, his dimensions wouldn't be so conspicuous.

Andrei Arshavin

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How deadly could Andrei Arshavin had been in the Premier League had he been born 10 years earlier?

In the era of Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Bergkamp and Eric Cantona, when foreign flair was still terrifyingly exotic and usual, and English football had yet to recognise the existence of "the hole" behind the forward line, the fanciful former Arsenal playmaker could have been one of the league's most devastating talents.

Alternatively, had he been a few years younger and arrived to combine with Mesut Ozil, he may not have run of steam and ideas at the Emirates.

During Euro 2008, Arshavin and his Russian cohorts looked to be a team destined for future greatness, which makes it so odd that in the space of around four years he was on his way back Zenit St. Petersburg as a failure.

Andy Carroll

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Andy Carroll's £35 million transfer wouldn't have been justifiable in any era, even taking inflation into account.

But the towering target man's abilities certainly hark back to another generation of football and footballer.

He may have found a fitting home at West Ham United now, but the derision he has faced for his size and style of play will likely follow him throughout his career, which is unfair as he is a supremely talented at what he does.

Had Carroll been purchased by Liverpool in the mid-80s for a couple of million, he may well have become an Anfield great at a then-record price not beyond reason.

Jack Butland

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To put it simply, Jack Butland is the latest, highly talented England goalkeeper born out of sync with the life span of the national No. 1.

Joe Hart may be struggling through an error-prone phase of his career of late, but at only 26 he could have another 14 years at the top ahead of him. That doesn't leave much room for the 20-year-old Butland and his ilk.

Unless Butland can win a move to a Champions League club to replace Hart as England's best, he will have been born in the midst of someone else's epoch.

Charlie Adam

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Charlie Adam's lack of athleticism marks him out in a Premier League era filled with players at the peak of their physical condition.

Even more so than Anderson who was featured earlier, the burly Scot is something of a modern anomaly who struggles to make the most of his talents, which is a shame as Adam is a gifted individual.

A cultured passer armed with decent vision, a potent dead-ball delivery and good ball control, at times it seems as though the Stoke City player is a highly useful playmaker trapped inside an out-of-shape pub or Sunday league player's body.

Had he been active in an earlier era, the former Rangers, Blackpool and Liverpool midfielder could have been Scotland's answer to Jan Molby.

Darren Bent

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Much like Owen, Darren Bent is a striker struggling to emphasise his strengths over his weaknesses in a changing football world.

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert was dismissive of the club's record signing, preferring the more complete and inventive Christian Benteke over the English poacher.

Now on loan at Fulham, Bent has been given the opportunity to prove his quality and relevancy as a Premier League striker in an era where forwards are expected to do far more than just score.

Sebastian Coates

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Liverpool's Uruguayan defensive goliath has the skill to be a high-class, modern centre-back, but not the speed.

In the age of "Gegenpressing," "Bielsafication" and counterattackers who are able to break at the speed of an Olympic sprinter, an ability to move fast and well is vital for all but the most experienced defenders. Even then, a wise, seasoned reader of the game will often be caught be the sheer threat of players with pace.

Sebastian Coates is a talented young footballer but it looks as though his immobility will prevent him from reaching the level his potential suggests he deserves.

If only he had broken through in a previous era before the back pass was outlawed, the offside rule was liberalised, and dropping deep was a valid choice for exuberant ball-playing defenders lacking the speed to cover for their mistakes.

At least he'll always have that bicycle kick against QPR.

Paulo Henrique Ganso

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He was meant to be the prodigy who brought the deft, creative midfielder back into vogue in Brazilian football.

A gangly figure whose style of play is seen by some as a living reference to the likes of Socrates and Zico rather than Dunga and Gilberto Silva, Ganso has struggled to match the trajectory of his fellow starlet Neymar.

Still only 23, the Sao Paulo playmaker (formerly of Santos) may still be able to bring Brazil back around to the idea of flair and skill rather than brute force through the middle, but his job would be a whole lot easier had he been born in the heyday of samba football.

Gary Mackay-Steven

Scotland used to be the first port of call for managers, especially in England, who wanted to add some flair and trickery to their teams.

Had Dundee United's showy winger Gary Mackay-Steven been a player in the 70s or 80s rather than today, his outlandish jinks through Scottish defences may have lead to him winning a lucrative move south as one of the most sought-after talents in British football.

Javier Hernandez

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In any other time period of football, Javier Hernandez would likely be enshrined as one of the greatest goalscorers of his generation.

Rather than ascending to the level of Hugo Sanchez, Romario or even Inzaghi, Chicharito remains locked to the bench at Old Trafford with decent stints and run-outs in the first team few and far between.

Should the transfer rumours ever come true and Hernandez is whisked off to lead the line for a club such as Real Madrid where he'd be backed up by their copious amount of playmakers, he could be a legend. But it looks unlikely that such a move would come to pass.

Madrid, like every other top team around today, requires well-rounded forwards to play in their other attacking talents, not poachers.

Had Hernandez burst onto the scene at any point in the previous five decades, he would probably have become one of the most sought-after and celebrated goalscorers of all time.

Mikel Arteta

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Talk about bad timing.

Mikel Arteta is arguably the best deep-sitting playmaker in the Premier League and yet his chances of playing for Spain are practically nonexistent.

Xavi, Alonso, Busquets, Martinez, Fabregas, Iniesta, Thiago, Herrera...the list goes on, and on and on.

Arsenal's passing hub would be a key starter for almost every other national team in the world, but for Spain his incredible abilities are eclipsed by the endless ranks of excellent, technical and creative midfielders.

Had Arteta been born in a previous era less congested by similarly brilliant players, he could well have been Spain's main midfielder.

Marco Verratti

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Pirlo's heir apparent may also be the prototype for a next generation of the regista.

Having been snapped up by PSG after becoming the creative hub of Zdenek Zeman's young and exciting Pescara team, who so boldly blitzed Serie B on their way to promotion to Serie A in 2011, Verratti is a player who looks to have a big future ahead of him.

He is also Italian football's future when it comes to foreseeing the way forward for the country's footballing culture in midfield. If Verratti can develop as is hoped, then he will be a shining light for those dedicated to preserving and adapting the role of the artist in football's continual evolution.

Verratti may well have emerged at just the right time as far as his age and potential goes, but his true greatness lies in the decade or so ahead. 

Toni Kroos

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Toni Kroos may well be a glimpse into the future of what a creative midfielder could become.

Hard-working, disciplined, incredibly versatile and adaptable and exceptionally fit in a squad blessed with some of the best midfielders in the world, the young German stands out as if tailor-made for the direction the game is headed.

At the moment, as a member of this Bayern Munich team, he suffers for his versatility at times, but make no mistake, Kroos could become to the next era what Xavi was to this one.

Thomas Muller

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If Kroos is a player who shows us the future of the playmaker, then Thomas Muller plays like a next-generation goalscorer sent back in time to question how we play the game.

As Barney Ronay wrote in the Guardian back in April:

"

Not quite a playmaker, some way short of a striker, and blessed with no extreme qualities of power or technique, Muller is instead the world's first Raumdeuter, which is German for "space investigator."

"

Space is everything in football, and it's a commodity Muller specialises in finding, creating, hunting and using.

Formations, tactics, false nines, tiki-taka, the regista—these are all tools used by managers and players to utilise space in different ways and through different trends.

The movement and intelligence of Muller is a sign of things to come, just as Jari Litmanen—the original shadow striker—inspired a new type of attacker by helping to redefine what it means to be a forward.

If Wayne Rooney grew up absorbing Litmanen's approach to the game and dreaming of replicating his moves one day, imagine what a footballing landscape built in the image of Muller could one day resemble.