The day cannot go by without a cross-sport mention of Roger Federer, the man who just keeps on going and going and who seems nowhere near retirement. Twenty Grand Slam titles and counting. And he's 36.
Can there ever be a footballer equivalent? It's a hard comparison, an individual vs team sport. Sir Stanley Matthews played top division football in England until he was 50. That alone is an amazing feat, to keep himself in good enough shape to be playing at that level. And he came back from a number on injuries. He, and his team's, only won one FA Cup but his dedication and self-discipline to keep going is admirable.
Pele was probably the greatest in terms of honours won: three World Cups, and a number of Brazilian and South American Championships with Santos. And he scored over 1200 goals. That he is the only player to have won three World Cups should probably make him the Federer of football. It's not easy to have been young and spectacular in 1958 and older and still quite brilliant in 1970. Like Federer that takes a lot of self-motivation.
Regardless of whether there is a football equivalent today really should be the day to remember Federer as one of the greatest athletes ever.
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