The Welsh wizard, hailed as one of football’s earliest superstars, was already considered ‘old’ when he joined United at the age of 31 in 1906, following a season-long ban for attempting to bribe an opposing player.
He became a key figure in United’s inaugural great team, securing two league titles and the FA Cup before the outbreak of the First World War brought league football to a halt, seemingly signaling the end of his career.
Remarkably, at 45 years old, Meredith was still part of the squad when the First Division resumed for the 1919/20 season.
On the final day of the following season, he set a club record that may never be surpassed, taking to the field against Derby at the age of 46 years and 281 days. He even continued playing for a few more seasons after that, rejoining Manchester City and competing until just a couple of months shy of his 50th birthday.
Will Ronaldo play that long? We wouldn’t bet against it…