The phrase "aged like fine wine" is used to depict an improvement in quality with the passage of time. Among top-level footballers, this phrase is not often used because they tend to decline and their productivity drops as age catches up with them. With an advancement in age, footballers tend to lose their pace and rely more on their mental attributes and reading of the game.
At present, players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Cristiano Ronaldo have been exemplary as they continue to compete at the highest level well into their thirties. Scoring one or two goals is hard enough in Europe's elite leagues, but some of these golden oldies have managed to find the net three times in a game.
Without further ado, here is a list of the five oldest players to score a hat-trick in Europe's top five leagues since 2000.
#5 Teddy Sheringham - 37 years, four months and 25 days
Retired English striker Teddy Sheringham is a Premier League legend in every sense of the word. The former Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth and West Ham United striker is known for his impressive longevity in the game.
Best known for his injury time goal and assist in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich for Manchester United, Sheringham holds a number of Premier League records.
At 37 years, four months and 25 days old, Sheringham scored a hat-trick for Portsmouth against Bolton Wanderers to set a record as the oldest hat-trick scorer in Premier League history.
His treble against Bolton in August 2003 makes him the fifth oldest player to record a hat-trick in Europe's top five leagues since 2000. He also holds the record for the oldest outfield player to appear and score in the Premier League.
#4 Claudio Pizzaro - 37 years, four months and 29 days
Claudio Pizzaro is another of the golden oldies who made his mark in European football. The striker represented Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and FC Koln in a glittering career across Europe.
As Werder Bremen's record goalscorer, Pizzaro scored an impressive number of goals in his time in Europe, especially in the Bundesliga. Pizzaro represented Bremen in five separate stints, setting a number of records as he played for the club.
Pizzaro scored his first hat-trick for the club aged 20 in 1999 and scored his last hat-trick at 37 years of age in a 4-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen. Pizzaro also holds the record for the oldest player to score in the Bundesliga after he scored against RB Leipzig aged 40 years and 227 days.
#3 Joaquin - 38 years, four months and 18 days
Spain and Real Betis icon Joaquin is another player who has enjoyed a great deal of longevity in his professional career. The 40-year-old winger currently captains his boyhood club Real Betis in the Spanish La Liga.
Joaquin started his professional career at Real Betis and left the club in 2006 before returning in 2015. Joaquin became the oldest player to score a La Liga hat-trick when he scored his first-ever treble in a 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao in 2019.
The former Spain international was 38 years, four months and 18 days old when he achieved this feat.
#2 Rodrigo Palacio - 39 years, two months and 28 days
Easily recognizable by the single braided strand of hair on the back of his head, Argentinean striker Rodrigo Palacio is second on this list. The 39-year-old has had a long and fruitful career in Serie A with Inter Milan and Genoa since moving to the league in 2009.
Palacio was a prolific goalscorer throughout his time in the Italian top flight for the clubs he represented. Palacio scored a hat-trick for Bologna against Fiorentina in a 3-3 draw with a performance that saw him grab all the headlines.
In a match that featured highly-rated Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, it was the experience and guile of Palacio that caught the eye. While Vlahovic scored a brace in the game that was held in May 2021, Palacio scored three times to earn his side a draw.
Palacio's efforts saw him eclipse the record set by Silvio Piola, who previously held the record for the oldest player to score a Serie A hat-trick in 1950. The former Argentine international now plays for Brescia in Serie B.
#1 Jorge Molina - 39 years, eight months and one day
When Jorge Molina scored a hat-trick for Granada against RCD Mallorca at the weekend, Mallorca hearts were not the only thing he broke. The veteran striker also broke the record for the oldest player to score a hat-trick in Europe's top five leagues.
Molina scored his treble aged 39 years and 241 days, as Granada defeated RCD Mallorca 4-1. The Spaniard became the oldest player to score a hat-trick since 2000, breaking the record set earlier this year by Palacio.
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