When Gary McAllister joined Liverpool at 35 for free in 2000, there was some initial scepticism about the impact he could have.
That was washed away by his contribution to a treble in 2001 as the Reds landed the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup.
The 50-year-old, who will be among our guests at Vicar Street for Off The Ball's Liverpool special, also had a positive impact on his younger team-mates like Steven Gerrard, who has never downplayed the ex-Scotland international's influence:
Frank Rijkaard
The AC Milan legend left the Italian club in 1993 aged 31, only to be one of the experienced members of the young Ajax team that beat his former side in the 1995 Champions League final.
Xabi Alonso
At 33, the former Liverpool midfielder is by no means old but you would think he is departing his peak.
Thanks to the fact that his style was never built on pace, his intelligent passing has already made him a cornerstone of Pep Guardiola's midfield this season after leaving European champions Real Madrid last summer.
Andrea Pirlo
Hindsight means one has to shake one's head, but back in 2011 AC Milan felt Pirlo was finished. So finished that they let the World Cup winner leave for rivals Juventus on a free.
Since then, Milan have slipped off the radar and Juve have won every Serie A title since with the evergreen 35-year-old at the heart of the Bianconeri's rise.
Luca Toni
You'd have thought that the former Italy striker would have quietly slipped away from football at the tender age of 37.
Just three years ago, the ex-Bayern Munich and Fiorentina forward had a stint in the Middle East, which is usually seen as a spot for football's pensioners to ease themselves into comfortable retirement.
But since joining Serie A side Hellas Verona in 2013, he has scored 39 goals over the past two seasons.
Raul
Let go by Real Madrid in 2010 at the age of 33, the former club captain still found a new lease of life at his next club, Schalke 04.
The ex-Spain striker helped the Bundesliga side to a German Cup win and also scored regularly in Europe, becoming immensely popular with the fans despite a short stay of two seasons.
Still in the game, playing with NASL side New York Cosmos.
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