This ex-Man City and Blackburn cult hero is still scoring goals at 43 years old - do you remember him?

When he first started playing professional football in 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by JK Rowling, Titanic was released in cinemas and George Clooney was (officially) the sexiest man alive.

His debut is closer to the Beatles breaking up in 1970 than it is to present day, for further reference. Almost 30 years later, this striker - who played for both Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City - is not only still playing football, but is leading the charge for his club.

With them, he is nearing his tally of Premier League goals, too. The Paraguayan striker is also technically still eligible for international selection, having reversed his retirement in May 2019.

If you hadn’t guessed already, the man we are talking about is Blackburn and Bayern Munich legend, Roque Santa Cruz. Yes, the 43-year-old is genuinely still playing football, and still playing upfront.

Most footballers retire in their mid-late 30s, with some goalkeepers occasionally making it past 40 years old before they hang up their boots. But you just try stopping Santa Cruz - it’s not happening anytime soon.

Having joined Club Libertad in December 2021, Santa Cruz has been able to continue his illustrious career, which has taken him from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, LaLiga and even the Liga MX.

He is best-known for his sensational 2007/08 season, where he scored 19 goals in the Premier League, putting him in the company of Emmanuel Adebayor, Fernando Torres and Cristiano Ronaldo as he guided Blackburn to seventh in the league. His goalscoring efforts may have peaked in this season, but he still knows how to find the back of the net.

In last week’s Supercopa Paraguay final, he found the back of the net as Libertad defeated his former club Olimpia 2-1. He is the second oldest player to score in the history of the tournament, and the oldest currently playing in Paraguay.