TS Galaxy defender Vuyo Mere is holding up hope of only becoming the seventh player to earn minutes in topflight football after turning 40.

Mere turns 40 on March 5 and remains active at Galaxy where he has spent the past two years.

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While he has had no appearance this season, Mere has constantly been on the bench placing him just a step away from game-time.

What is remarkable is that Mere is now in his 23rd consecutive season playing professional football in South Africa.

'Smereza' started out as a 17-year-old at Hellenic in the 2001/02 season and has since been to Mamelodi Sundowns, Platinum Stars, Moroka Swallows, Bidvest Wits, and Swallows again before arriving at Galaxy.

Mere's last appearance was a year ago but has remained an important figure in the dressing room in what stands to be his last season as a player.

The only other player in the DStv Premiership turning 40 is Clayton Daniels.

Daniels – who broke through at Ajax Cape Town as Clayton Jagers during the 2006/07 season, has played 13 games for Spurs this season as captain.

The veteran will turn 40 in July.

There has been talk that he is being phased out from the playing squad to take up a role in the technical team. 

His career has taken him full circle from Ikamva to Mamelodi Sundowns, Bloemfontein Celtic, SuperSport United, Maritzburg United, and back to Ikamva again with Spurs.

Andre Arendse, Bruce Grobbelaar, John Moshoeu, Arthur Bartman, Siyabonga Nomvethe, Hans Vonk, and Jean Marc-Ithier have all played past in the DStv Premiership past their 40th birthdays through the PSL era years.

Arendse was six weeks away from turning 46 when injuries at Wits forced him back into action for two games in May 2013.

He had last played during the 2008/09 season before calling it quits to focus on coaching.

Grobelaar played one game against Kaizer Chiefs when he was already aged 44 back in 2002.

The Liverpool legend had been coach at Hellenic when he came back to feature in the last game of the season with the club, having survived relegation.

The late Moshoeu got minutes at 42 while at AmaZulu in 2008 while Arthur Bartman (late) also played for Golden Arrows at 42 after coming out of retirement.

The all-time top scorer in domestic football – Nomvethe, played for AmaZulu at 41 in 2019. 

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Vonk was as competitive as ever between the posts when he came close to winning the league aged 41 in 2011.

Then for Marc Ithier, he played upfront for Santos aged 41 just before he retired in 2006.