SteelbackDon wrote:
I find moves like this strange because he's all but ended his career by joining a club like this. He'll be their main player but the move has to be purely for 'living in Cyprus' he'll play pressure-free football whilst the professionalism in terms of diet will drop off naturally as it isn't such a high-pressured league environment.
I don't begrudge anyone playing football if they are offered the chance but that is practically early retirement!
I get your point, and I agree that that probably applies to some / many of the instances. And could certainly apply in Puncheon's case.
Obviously, the wages and lifestyle choice is a big factor for many, but I'm not fond of the attitude that playing in foreign leagues, apart from the big 5 or 6, is solely akin to retirement.
If a player is 30+ and faces being a squad player at best in the PL or championship, or only has offers lower down the leagues in England, and also has offers from top flight sides but in smaller footballing nations, then I can see why some players, for footballing reasons as well as lifestyle choice, might choose to be a key player in the top flight of a smaller country, where there's the chance of adding some silverware to their collection. Especially those who maybe have no medals to show for their career up to then, and are at an age were they're not going to work their way back up to being a regular again in the strongest Leagues.
I wasn't meaning to imply that it is purely for retirement purposes; but you have to admit "winning the Cypriot Football League" won't exactly be a decision-swaying attraction when Agard, Gilbey, Brittain decide to retire.