Players who were at clubs for longer/shorter than you remember

[Wonder Pigeon]

I was just looking up to see where Darron Gibson is at these days and was surprised to be reminded of his spell at Everton, which I had completely forgotten.


Gibson was at Everton for 5 seasons and with Sunderland for only two (one in the Premier League). In my memory I associate Gibson as a constant presence in Sunderland's relegation-drain circling years. I guess I remember him playing for Everton but in my mind it was more of a one season and he was gone type deal.

Any other players who were at certain clubs for a lot longer or shorter than you associate them in your head?

 

[Raw]

Mata at United. I know he's been here a while but it doesn't sound right to me that he's been here for 8 seasons and at Chelsea for only 3. And he's made twice as many appearances here than at Chelsea.

I guess when you subconsciously blank out crap seasons under boring managers it kind of makes sense.

 

[Lay]

What the feck, 8 years? I have more memories of him at Chelsea than I do here

 

[Gio]

Klinsmann's single season at Spurs. Made such an impact you'd think he was there for a bit longer.

 

[Red Stone]

Lee Grant for us, but that's mostly because I get surprised he even is a human being that exists when I see his name, let alone the fact that he plays for us and has done so for three seasons. I can't think of many players that have had more underwhelming and anonymous careers with us.

James Milner has more games for Liverpool than any other club he's been at. I feel like he spent a decade at both City and Villa.

Scott Parker only played for Spurs for two seasons, yet I could've sworn he spent half his career there.

 

[Wonder Pigeon]

Klinsmann's single season at Spurs. Made such an impact you'd think he was there for a bit longer.

Klinsmann was at Spurs for one season?? Vincent Janssen probably had a longer spell, christ.

 

[TheReligion]

Klinsmann's single season at Spurs. Made such an impact you'd think he was there for a bit longer.

Good shout.

Saha at United 4 years seems a long time. Think Stam only did 3.

 

[TheReligion]

I was just looking up to see where Darron Gibson is at these days and was surprised to be reminded of his spell at Everton, which I had completely forgotten.


Gibson was at Everton for 5 seasons and with Sunderland for only two (one in the Premier League). In my memory I associate Gibson as a constant presence in Sunderland's relegation-drain circling years. I guess I remember him playing for Everton but in my mind it was more of a one season and he was gone type deal.

Any other players who were at certain clubs for a lot longer or shorter than you associate them in your head?

Did the thought cross your mind to check what Serge Canales was up to?

 

[SAFMUTD]

Somehow Henry and David Villa were at Barca for only 3 seasons. I thought it had been more, specially for Villa.

 

[2 man midfield]

Eric Bailly has been at United longer than Eric Cantona.

 

[TheMagicFoolBus]

Diego Forlan was only at Atleti for 4 seasons somehow. Felt to me like he was there much longer personally.

 

[carvajal]

In my head Pedja Mijatovic was in Madrid for many years but it was only 3.
I had to go over Wikipedia to remember that we were looking for his signing years before. A pity that he did not come a little earlier.
Something similar happens to me with Suker

 

[Bubz27]

Martinez is one away from equalling Brad Friedel's clean sheet record for Villa. He only had 15.

When I think of Friedel, I think Blackburn. But I was surprised to hear he only had 15 clean sheets at Villa. He only played 114 games for them, which I thought would be higher.

He also played 50 games for Spurs which I completely forgot.

 

[DOTA]

Diego Forlan was only at Atleti for 4 seasons somehow. Felt to me like he was there much longer personally.

I always think of him as a Villarreal player, for some reason. Was surprised to see he played more games for Atletico.

 

[Wonder Pigeon]

Somehow Henry and David Villa were at Barca for only 3 seasons. I thought it had been more, specially for Villa.

Bojan has more appearances for Barcelona than Villa or Henry, when my memory says he would have had one season like Dos Santos before heading off to be a journeyman.

 

[El Zoido]

Lee Grant for us, but that's mostly because I get surprised he even is a human being that exists when I see his name, let alone the fact that he plays for us and has done so for three seasons. I can't think of many players that have had more underwhelming and anonymous careers with us.

He does quite a lot behind the scenes I believe, he’s doing his coaching badges and helps facilitate training sessions. He’s hardly on the pitch, but our players speak highly of him.

Was also a makeshift 4th official in one of our game this season, for some reason!

 

[The holy trinity 68]

Juan Mata has made more than double the appearances for United that he did at Chelsea and has almost made more appearances at United than Valencia and Chelsea combined.

 

[WeePat]

Mata at United. I know he's been here a while but it doesn't sound right to me that he's been here for 8 seasons and at Chelsea for only 3. And he's made twice as many appearances here than at Chelsea.

I guess when you subconsciously blank out crap seasons under boring managers it kind of makes sense.

This one threw me for a loop, 8 fecking seasons.

 

[The holy trinity 68]

Mata at United. I know he's been here a while but it doesn't sound right to me that he's been here for 8 seasons and at Chelsea for only 3. And he's made twice as many appearances here than at Chelsea.

I guess when you subconsciously blank out crap seasons under boring managers it kind of makes sense.

I didn't see this post haha my bad.

 

[duffer]

I still think of Mata as a Chelsea player who spent a few seasons at Man United.

 

[Hercules]

Martinez is one away from equalling Brad Friedel's clean sheet record for Villa. He only had 15.

When I think of Friedel, I think Blackburn. But I was surprised to hear he only had 15 clean sheets at Villa. He only played 114 games for them, which I thought would be higher.

He also played 50 games for Spurs which I completely forgot.

15 in a season, 36 overall.

 

[jus2nang]

Klinsmann's single season at Spurs. Made such an impact you'd think he was there for a bit longer.

Pretty sure he had two spells. After he left the first time Sugar went on MOTD and had a rant about how he rejuvenated his career, despite the fact he'd come off a pretty decent World Cup.

Pretty sure he returned a few years later for another short stint.

 

[TheMagicFoolBus]

I always think of him as a Villarreal player, for some reason. Was surprised to see he played more games for Atletico.

The opposite for me! To be fair though that makes sense as you lot sold him to Villareal - definitely less on my radar!

 

[SAFMUTD]

Bojan has more appearances for Barcelona than Villa or Henry, when my memory says he would have had one season like Dos Santos before heading off to be a journeyman.

That makes it even more impressive! Maybe it was because I was young back then but I was sure the Messi, Henry, Eto'o trident lasted longer.

 

[Oranges038]

Mark Noble has been playing for West Ham since 2004 and is still only 33.

I thought he was there longer and was much older.

 

[kaiser1]

Batsuayi has been in Chelsea since 2016

 

[Bubz27]

15 in a season, 36 overall.

Oh that's a season record? That's really good I guess! My apologies.

Still, I thought he had more than 100-odd games for Villa.

 

[JamesB__]

Peter Crouch made more appearances (and by a vast margin) for Stoke than he did for any other club, and scored most of his goals there. I imagine most football fans associate him far more with Liverpool or Spurs however.

 

[Siorac]

Dwight Yorke played almost twice as many games for Aston Villa as for United.

 

[BrilliantOrange]

Rafael van der Vaart was only at Spurs for 2 seasons...

 

[GueRed]

Jaap Stam seemed like he was at United for ages at the time.

Only three seasons in total.

Crock Eric Bailly been at the club Five fecking seasons and counting.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Eric Bailly been at Utd as long as Cantona was.

 

[GueRed]

Dwight Yorke played almost twice as many games for Aston Villa as for United.

He developed as a player at Villa. From rough hungry diamond into a top Striker.

Came to United at his peak.

 

[Kasper]

As a non-supporter it always shocks me how long some United players from the 2010s decade have been at the club compared to some from Fergie`s main time.

Ashley Young longer at the club than Vidic.
Juan Mata longer at the club than Ronaldo or Sheringham.
Ander Herrera longer than Dwight Yorke.
Luke Shaw longer than Van Nistelrooy or Cantona.

However, nostalgia (and success) play probably a big role how one overestimates the length of past times while recency bias makes recent years seem shorter as a period.
Because I just checked and e.g. Xhaka has now been longer at Arsenal than Campbell so its not just a United perception.

 

[Dave Smith]

E. Martinez - 10 years at Arsenal has to be up there with most time wasted.

 

[BrilliantOrange]

Zlatan spent 4 years at PSG.. I had the feeling he only was there for 2 seasons max...

 

[The holy trinity 68]

Peter Crouch made more appearances (and by a vast margin) for Stoke than he did for any other club, and scored most of his goals there. I imagine most football fans associate him far more with Liverpool or Spurs however.

I associate him with Portsmouth. They are the club he made the 3rd most appearances for in his career but was only there for 2 seasons in two different stints.

 

[Wonder Pigeon]

However, nostalgia (and success) play probably a big role how one overestimates the length of past times while recency bias makes recent years seem shorter as a period.
Because I just checked and e.g. Xhaka has now been longer at Arsenal than Campbell so its not just a United perception.

Success definitely creates a sense of tenure, particularly since if a player flops you probably already start to think of them as having one foot out the door.