Juan Sebastian Veron comes out of retirement, aged 41

Former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron has come out of retirement at the age of 41 to sign an 18-month deal with his beloved Argentinian side Estudiantes.

Veron, who moved to Old Trafford for a then English record fee of £28.1million in 2001 and helped United to the Premier League title two years later, is the current president of the La Plata-based club.

He announced his first retirement two years ago but, according to reports, is making a comeback after his pledge to play in next year’s Copa Libertadores if fans bought 65 per cent of the boxes at the club’s new stadium was fulfilled.

Veron has also made himself available for Primera Division matches and will donate his salary to the club.

A statement on Estudiantes’ official website read: “Juan Sebastian Veron signed the contract that ties him to the club as a player for 18 months.

“The current president will play both the first division tournament and the Copa Libertadores and will receive in return a minimum salary that will be donated for the development of the club.

“La Brujita (Veron’s nickname) has been training alongside Professor Leandro De Rose in recent months to get in the best physical shape for the 2017 season.”

Veron bookended his career with Estudiantes, starting in 1994 before returning in 2006 after stints in Italy and England.