What's the oldest a player has started playing professional football...

[flammableBen]

... and still made a top level career for themselves?

[Bogus Dave]

Steve guppy was quite old i seem to remember.

[Devon Nige]

A great question
I think Tony Book was 28/29 when he signed for Man City.

[Dazzza]

Can't be right but Ian Wright, Wright, Wright was just shy of 22 when he signed pro forms at Palace straight from Sunday league.

Do you only want players straight from non-league to the top flight or can they have gone via a league club first?

[Reg Smeeton]

... and still made a top level career for themselves?

Tough question, because it all depends on your definition of professional.

Tony Book is the sort of answer you might be looking for...playing for Bath City, Malcolm Allison allegedly found him up a ladder, doing his day job, when aged about 29 he went to Man City, and captained them to the title and FA Cup.

We took Tony Gough, trying to follow the same template....it didn't work, quite so well.

[Devon Nige]

Dulwich Hamlet i think youll find Daz

[flammableBen]

Can't be right but Ian Wright, Wright, Wright was just shy of 22 when he signed pro forms at Palace straight from Sunday league.

Do you only want players straight from non-league to the top flight or can they have gone via a league club first?

I don't mind. Just something I was thinking about. It's not something I know the answer to.

[Rich Pullen]

I know that Paul Bostock was in his 30's when he re-entered the Football League with Boston. He had played a limited amount of games for Cambridge United in the late 80's before disappearing from the Football League until 2001.

But the fact he had played in the FL as a youngster means that I'm wasting my time typing this

[Devon Nige]

I don't mind. Just something I was thinking about. It's not something I know the answer to.

Still a very good question Ben and i think it could be Tony Book.

[oxford_fan]

Was Bostock a goalie?

[Rich Pullen]

Was Bostock a goalie?

Yup.

[oxford_fan]

Was Bostock a baldy?

[nevillew]

Was Bostik an adhesive ?

[Rich Pullen]

Bastock was indeed a baldy.

http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/bazza1.jpg

... and still made a top level career for themselves?

There probably loads of players who made their top flight debuts in their 30's.

Book was early 30's when he joined Man City from Plymouth.

Ian Ashbee of Hull was 31. Wigan's Mike Pollitt was about 34 when he first played in the top flight.

[suttonred]

Wasn't stanley matthews 86 when he signed for stoke?