04:55 PM ET  03.18 | Below is a list of former professional footballers who fit into one of many categories-but there is one thing for certain: none of them were featured or signed or played for the MLS. Why? Well, some of them were injury prone and too big of a risk. Some asked for too much money. Some disregarded offers, and one even went to Australia rather than play in the MLS (Fowler). Some just had plain old had bad attitudes and were booted from the team (as Babayaro was from the Galaxy)... And the last category were players the MLS overlooked completely.

As I've pointed out before in many discussions, some of these older players might have been good mentors and leaders to our younger MLS players. Regardless of the claims by some who aren't really familiar with the MLS, it is not a "retirement" league. And when challenged in the past, those who make this claim can never come up with a list of players in the MLS who should be retired instead of playing. Well, below is a list of players who AREN'T playing in the MLS, most of which are in fact, retired. If you come back later, I will have them in some order.

British Players

Andy Cole, ST, age 37, England: Maybe one last season left?

Robbie Fowler, ST, age 33, England: this chalk sniffing striker went to Australia instead.

Alan Stubbs, DF, age 37, England: again, a nagging knee injury probably would have kept him from playing in the MLS.

Trevor Sinclair, MF, age 36, England.

Kevin Campbell, ST, age 39, English.

Robbie Savage, M, age 34, Wales.  

German and Austrian Players

Stefan Klos, GK, retired at age 35, Germany

Markus Babbel, DF, retired age 34, Germany (now managing Stuttgart)

Silvio Meissner, MF age 36, Germany 

Thomas Brdaric, ST, age 34, Germany 

Uwe Gospordarek, GK, age 35, Germany: free agent.

Mehmet Scholl, MF,  age 38, Germany: probably too old now, but when he retired he could still play.  

Thomas Winklhofer, DF, age 38, Austria.

Lars Ricken, MF, age 32, Germany: spent some time in Columbus Crew camp, but then left and went back to Germany.

Thomas Linke, DF, age 39, Germany.

Sebastian Deisler, age 29, Germany: probably no returning from that ligament problem though.

Christian Worns, DF, age 36, Germany.

Carsten Ramelow, DF, age 34, Germany.

French Players

Johan Micoud, MF, retired age 34, France

Zinedine Zidane, MF, retired age 34, France: maybe too late at 36.

Olivier Tebily, DF, age 33, France: want to try one more time with Toronto FC?

Guillaume Warmuz, GK, age 38, France.

Sylvain Legwinski, MF, age 35, France: still wants to play. Can he?

Philippe Christanval, DF, age 30, France: this guy can't be totally shot yet and he's had plenty of time to get over his injuries. 

Lilian Laslandes, ST, age 37, France.

Spanish Players

Roger, MF, age 32, Spain (injury prone)

Jesuli, MF, age 31, Spain: still a free agent.

Santiago Canizares, GK, age 39, Spain: if only for his hair.

Gaizka Mendieta, M, age 34, Spain.

Ivan Helguera, D, age 33, Spain.

Greek players

Akis Zikos, MF, age 34, Greece: look out for nagging injuries.

Georgios Anatolakis, DF, age 34, Greece.

Grigoris Georgatos, DF, age 35, Greece.

African Players

Ifeanyi Udeze, DF, age 28, Nigeria: currently a free agent.

Samuel Kuffour, MF, age 32, Ghana: still linked to Chicago Fire?

Hatem Trabelsi DF, age 32, Tunisia: went on trial with DC United and Colorado. What happened? You can't find a peep about it.

Celestine Babayaro, DF, age 30, Nigeria: if he got his head on straight, he might be a good acquisition. His contract with Galaxy ended because of a supposed "bad attitude" before he ever played a real game.

South American players

Roque Junior, DF, age 32, Brazil: free agent; he's looking. 

Elber Giovane, ST, age 36, Brazil

Emerson, MF, age 36, Brazil: currently a free agent

Rivaldo, ST/MF, age 36, Brazil: MLS outbid by a Uzbek League team--seriously.

Juninho Paulista, MF, age 36, Brazil

Cafu, DF, age 38, Brazil.

Eastern European Players

Radek Bejbl, MF, age 36, Czech Republic

Goran Bunjevcevic, DF, age 36, Serbia.

Dado Prso, ST, age 34, Croatia: Is that ankle healed? If so, get him fit and play him! The rumor is that it was a permanent injury...  

Sergej Barbarez, ST, age 37, Bosnia.

Sergej Barbarez, ST, age 37, Bosnia.

Igor Tudor, DF, age 30, Croatia: fix that ankle first!

Shota Arevladze, ST, age 36, Georgia: if that knee is better.

Dutch and Belgium Players Players 

Michael Reiziger, DF, retired age 33, Holland

Jaap Stam, DF, age 36, Netherlands: when this guy retired more than a year ago, he could still very much play.

Paul Bosvelt, DF/MF, retired age 36, Netherlands

Dick Van Burik, DF, age 35, Netherlands

Mbo Mpenza, ST, age 32, Belgium: look out for the back injury.

Phillip Cocu, MF, age 38, France: Al-Jazira, not MLS, got his services.

Van Hooijdonk, ST, age 39, Netherlands: too old now, but a few years ago he could have been a positive addition.

Edgar Davids, M, age 36, Netherlands: go get him before someone else does.

  

Turkish Players 

Hakan Sukur, ST, retired age 36, Turkey

Italian Players

Giuseppe Pancaro, DF, retired age 35, Italy: some injuries to be careful of

Alessandro Costacurta, DF, age 42, Italy: Okay, okay-he's way too old now! 

Alessandro Pistone, DF, age 33, Italy: this guys has got to have something left...

Stefano Fiore, M, age 33, Italy.

Portuguese Players

Pauleta, ST, age 35, Portugal

Dani, ST, age 32, Portugal: partied himself out of football by the age of 27-more mature now?

Joao Pinto, ST, age 37, Portugal: probably too old now.

Rui Costa, MF, age 36, Portugal.

Mexican Players

Manuel Sol, MF, retired at 33, Mexico

Scandanavian Players:

Andre Bergdolmo, DF, age 37, Norway (perhaps to old)

Thomas Gaardsoe, DF, age 29, Denmark: only if the groin is better.

Trond Andersen, DF, age 34, Norway: currently a free agent

Antti Niemi, GK, age 36, Finland, could be a great mentor on someone's team

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, ST, age 36: if that damn knee ever got better.

Kim Daugaard, MF, age 34, Denmark.

Niclas Alexandersson, M, age 37, Sweden.

Thomas Graveson, M, age 33, Denmark.