Football's Youngest Journeymen: The Stars Who Racked Up Clubs Before Turning 23
· 5 min read ·
While some of football's most celebrated names spent their entire careers at a single club, others took a very different path. Ryan Giggs, Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti, and Tony Adams are synonymous with loyalty. Current stars like Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden may eventually join that exclusive group. But at the opposite end of the spectrum are players who accumulate a lengthy list of employers — sometimes before their careers have even truly begun.
The most famous current example is Jhon Duran, the former Aston Villa striker who joined the seventh club of his career at just 22 years old last week. He is far from alone in acquiring the journeyman tag before his 23rd birthday.
The Teenage Nomads: Adu and Delac
Freddy Adu was once dubbed "the next Pele." Signed by Nike at 13, he played Major League Soccer for D.C. United at 14 and made his United States debut at 16. Between 2004 and 2011, Adu signed for eight different clubs across the United States, Portugal, Monaco, Greece, and Turkey. He even completed a trial at Manchester United in 2006 — all by the age of 22.
In 2012, Adu reflected on his 2007 move to Benfica, calling it "not a good decision." He explained that as an 18-year-old, there was too much pressure to win immediately and he went through three coaches in a single year. Now 37, Adu last played in 2021 for Osterlen FF in Sweden.
Croatian goalkeeper Matej Delac followed a similarly itinerant path. He signed for Chelsea from Inter Zapresic in 2010 and spent eight years at the club, though most of that time was spent on loan. By the age of 22, Delac had played for eight different clubs without making a single competitive first-team appearance for Chelsea. Now 33, he currently plays for AC Horsens in Denmark.
Chelsea's Loan Army Graduates
Nathaniel Chalobah's story also revolves around Chelsea's extensive loan system. When Watford signed the 22-year-old midfielder from Chelsea on a five-year deal in 2017, it was his first permanent transfer. However, he had already completed six loan spells — including one with Watford in 2012 — meaning he had represented seven different clubs by that age.
Chalobah made a strong start at Watford and earned a call-up to the senior England squad for the final round of 2018 World Cup qualifiers. In October 2018, he won his only cap, coming on as a substitute in a 3-2 UEFA Nations League victory over Spain. Now 31, he is currently without a club after leaving Sheffield Wednesday following the 2025–26 season.
Josh McEachran was considered one of Chelsea's brightest prospects after breaking into the first team as a 17-year-old in 2010, eventually making 22 senior appearances. He spent the 2014–15 season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands, following previous loan spells with Swansea, Middlesbrough, Watford, and Wigan. At 22, he signed for Brentford for an undisclosed fee — the seventh club of his career. At the time, McEachran said it was time for him "to get out" of Chelsea and that the transfer would give him "stability." Now 33, he spent last season with Bristol Rovers in League Two.
Ryan Bertrand began his professional career at Chelsea and, by 22, had played for six clubs through multiple loan moves. These included two spells each at Bournemouth and Norwich City, plus loan stints with Oldham Athletic, Reading, and Nottingham Forest. The former England international was loaned out a total of nine separate occasions while at Chelsea before signing permanently for Southampton in 2015 at the age of 25. At Chelsea, the left-back made his European debut in the Blues' victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 final. Bertrand has been out of the game since leaving Leicester City in 2023.
Talent Unfulfilled and Early Success
Alen Halilovic began his professional career with Dinamo Zagreb at 16 and earned a permanent move to Barcelona, where he spent two years. He primarily played for Barcelona B before spending the 2015–16 season on loan at Sporting Gijon. After joining Hamburg in 2016, he was loaned to La Liga side Las Palmas during the 2017–18 campaign. In 2018, shortly after his 22nd birthday, he signed for AC Milan — his sixth club and the fourth different country in which he had played. The midfielder later had spells with Birmingham City and Reading and now plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands.
Ravel Morrison was once described by Sir Alex Ferguson as the most talented youngster he had seen at Manchester United since Paul Scholes. However, legal issues and disciplinary problems hindered his career. He left United for West Ham in 2012 and had loan spells with Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers, and Cardiff City. Before his 23rd birthday, he signed for Lazio in Italy — his sixth club in five years. Reflecting in 2021, Morrison called West Ham one of the most "enjoyable" places he played, though reports of a disagreement over a contract with then-manager Sam Allardyce ended his time there. Now 33, he plays for Arabian Falcons F.C. in the UAE Second Division.
Nicolas Anelka's early career was defined by both success and restlessness. By 22, he had won the Double with Arsenal in 1998 and the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2000. He began at Paris Saint-Germain but left in 1997, citing a lack of playing time and its impact on his international prospects. At Arsenal, he accused the English media of inventing stories about him. After moving to Real Madrid in 1999, he struggled to settle in Spain and re-signed for PSG in 2000. He returned to the Premier League in 2001, joining Liverpool on loan at 22. In total, the Frenchman played for 12 clubs across seven different countries during his career.
These stories remind us that there is no single blueprint for a football career. Whether through loan systems, personal ambition, or circumstances beyond their control, these players charted unconventional paths from a remarkably young age. If you found this look at football's youngest journeymen interesting, share this article with fellow fans and join the conversation about which path to stardom truly works best.
