The word ‘journeyman’ in football is usually associated with middling players, who were never able to cement themselves at one particular club, forcing them to live out a nomadic career.
Christian Vieri is the exception that proves the rule, as the former Italy forward would move clubs 14 times after coming up through the ranks with Torino, but cannot be described as ‘middling’.
His 1999 move from Lazio to Inter Milan was for a world record £32million fee, while his total transfer fees during his 18-year career came in just shy of £100million. The majority of this career was spent in Italy, with short stints in La Liga and Ligue 1, but the cricket-loving, Australian-raised star never made it to the Premier League.
Christian Vieri on his England near-misses
Vieri’s physique, power and technique meant he had all the attributes to succeed in the Premier League, and the 51-year-old admits he did have offers.
“Yeah, I was close to Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea,” he tells FourFourTwo. “When Spurs were showing interest, I also had the option to go to Monaco and I decided to go there.
“Two years before, I could’ve gone to Chelsea, I think when Sven-Goran Eriksson was possibly going there. A guy called to ask me if I wanted to join Chelsea, but I said no. I wanted to stay at Inter at the time.”
Vieri’s first nine seasons as a professional were spent at nine different clubs, before he arrived at Inter Milan in 1999, where he spent six seasons. He now admits that if he had been a one-club man, he would have wanted it to have been there.
“Inter. I really enjoyed it there,” Vieri continues. “I loved playing with Ronaldo and playing for the fans in that stadium. I stayed there for six years, and they became my club.
“When I can, I go to see them in Milan. I remember days when 10,000 people were there just to watch training.
“But the fact that I spent the first years of my career at several different clubs was a coincidence. If I liked the proposal of a club, I went. As a footballer, you play for 15 to 20 years and you have to make the best decisions for yourself.
“It’s a job, so I went where I felt I could do a good job. That was my motivation. I had a lot of good times – it’s an amazing life as a professional footballer.”
