FOOTBALL has changed dramatically in the past couple of decades.
Not only have wages and transfer fees skyrocketed, but the global appeal has only broadened.
With that has come an increased number of clubs and competitions, meaning players these days travel further than ever before… particularly if your club is successful.
Decades ago, European competition would tend to be limited predominantly to the English, Spanish, Italian, French and German giants, meaning travel was reasonably limited.
However, these days, European clashes can see you going as far as Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkey on a much more frequent basis.
The modern footballer doesn't just need to cope with their on-field performances, but also the glitz and glamour of fame and of course the extensive travelling.
But which footballers have journeyed the farthest in their long career?
It's hardly a surprise to note that Spanish veteran stopper and perennial Champions League star Iker Casillas have covered more miles than anyone else amongst current players, according to research by Kiwi.
Porto's former Real Madrid goalkeeper has travelled 564,380miles during his illustrious career, ahead of compatriot and Barcelona legend Xavi (554, 363).
La Liga rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are in tow - both on over 500,000miles - with European superstars Francesco Totti and Zlatan Ibrahimovic not far behind.
Wayne Rooney is England's longest-travelling current star - with a lethal 13 goals per 10,000miles - in tenth overall, behind Carlos Tevez and Karim Benzema.
In the all-time stakes, no player has gone further than Spanish icon Raul at a whopping 679,425 miles.
Pavel Nedved and Roberto Carlos round-off the top three, with Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Pele and David Beckham occupying the next slots, in a real 'who's who' of footballing legends.
Casillas' incredible mileage however is enough to see him sit fourth in the all-time list... and he's still going strong.
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