Thursday 14 January 2016 12:45, UK
Few would have predicted former Liverpool and Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant would be playing in Singapore this season - but this week he agreed terms with Tampines Rovers FC.
The transfer is one of the more left-field career moves for a professional footballer but there have been plenty of other familiar names swapping Europe's big leagues for more remote locations.
Here are 10 players who opted to play their football further afield...
Robinho - Guangzhou Evergrande (China)
Touted for a bright future at a young age, the forward from Santos went on to have a successful career in Europe with stops at Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan. Robinho has long been one of the staples of the Brazil national team, particularly under former manager Luis Felipe Scolari.
The 31-year-old was re-united with his former national team boss after joining Guangzhou Evergrande in June 2015. He featured in the Club World Cup last December, losing to Barcelona in the semi-final. Former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho also joined in the same month.
Rivaldo - Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan) and Kabuscorp (Angola)
Bunyodkor held lofty ambitions of becoming one of football's superpowers around eight years ago, so much so that they launched an audacious £15m bid for Samuel Eto'o, who was unsettled at Barcelona at the time. After being snubbed by the Cameroon international, the club turned to Brazil and Barcelona legend Rivaldo. During two years in Uzbekistan, the 1999 Ballon d'Or winner scored 33 goals.
Rivaldo clearly has a taste for different cultural experiences. In 2012, he joined Angolan club Kabuscorp where he scored 11 goals in 21 league games aged 40. He played in the Angolan major league Girabola for less than a year.
Nicolas Anelka - Shanghai Shenhua (China)
Nicolas Anelka surprised many in 2012 when he decided to move from Chelsea to Shanghai Shenhua and later became player-coach.
Taking on two roles seems to have evolved into a specialty for Anelka who played for Mumbai City in 2014, before taking up the position of player-manager for his second season in India. Mumbai City finished sixth in the league under his management, failing to make the play-offs.
Robbie Fowler - Muangthong United (Thailand)
The Premier League's seventh-highest goalscorer became a hit in Thailand in 2011 after stints in the A-League at North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory. It was at Muangthong where Fowler went on to score his 250th club career goal.
Just three months into his Thai adventure, Fowler became player/coach for the club before leaving them following the appointment of now Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic in February 2012.
He explained why he joined the club in 2011: "I've always loved the game, regardless of where I've been. And it's the same here in Thailand. I thought: Why not give it a shot? The kids will enjoy it when they come over here, and I certainly will. I'm seeing new things in my life other than football, which I might never have seen."
Emmanuel Frimpong - FC Ufa (Russia)
Frimpong grew into something of a fan favourite at Arsenal despite making just 16 appearances for the club over two seasons. The Ghanaian went on loan spells to Championship clubs Wolves, Charlton and Fulham before making a permanent switch to Barnsley in 2014.
After being released just four months into his time at the club, Frimpong made the move to Russian Premier League side FC Ufa in September 2014. In the opening game of the 2015/16 season against Spartak Moscow, Frimpong received a straight red card during the 2-2 draw after he gestured toward the Spartak stands. The 23-year-old later wrote on his Twitter account he had been "racially abused for the game that I love."
Jay Simpson - Buriram United (Thailand)
Leyton Orient forward Jay Simpson has been prolific since joining the League Two club, with 25 goals in 53 appearances. However, his one season at Thai Premier League club Buriram United was not quite so successful.
The former Arsenal youngster managed just one goal in 21 games.
He reflected on his time when speaking to Sky Sports in November: "It was something I wanted to do and it was something that maybe I would never have had the chance to experience.
"When you go over there it makes you grateful for a lot of things that you have in England. Even the atmosphere of playing in England, there aren't many places where you'll see that."
Jay Bothroyd - Jubilo Iwata (Japan)
Bothroyd is clearly not afraid to do things a bit differently to most players when it comes to playing outside England. Although predominantly a Championship journeyman with standout spells at Coventry, Cardiff and Wolves, Bothroyd has also played for Italian club Perugia and Thai outfit Muangthong United.
But his latest move was perhaps his most exotic yet, having joined Japanese second division club Jubilo Iwata where he most recently helped the club to promotion to the Premier division. Bothroyd was a major contributor in the last season, scoring 20 goals in 30 matches.
Asamoah Gyan - Al Ain (Abu Dhabi), now Shanghai SIPG (China)
Asamoah Gyan left Sunderland in 2011 to join Al Ain on a season-long loan in the Middle East. That deal turned into a five-year contract in July 2012 after Gyan finished as the league's top scorer with 22 goals.
The Ghanaian striker scored a staggering 68 goals in 56 appearances for the Abu Dhabi club and, in July 2015, moved to Shanghai SIPG, becoming one of the world's best-paid footballers. Gyan has scored four goals in ten matches for the club managed by Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Caleb Folan - Kanbawza FC (Myanmar)
Caleb Folan played for eight English clubs, including Chesterfield, Wigan and Hull. But since 2011, as well as brief stops at Birmingham and Bradford, the former Ireland international has continued his career in USA and Malaysia.
He now plays for Kanbawza FC in the Myanmar national league, where he's scored 13 goals in 17 appearances.
Speaking in July last year, Folan says he is enjoying the culture. "I'd been here on a pre-season tour with my Malaysian team (T-Team FC) and liked the country," he said. "It is starting to open up but it is still very traditional. You see monks all the time walking barefoot by the side of the road. There's a very friendly energy about the place."
Jlloyd Samuel - Esteghlal and Paykan (Iran)
Former Aston Villa and Bolton defender Jlloyd Samuel opted for a different path after a 13-year career in Britain, including brief loan spells at Gillingham and Cardiff. The man from Trinidad moved to Iran in 2011 to play for Pro League side Esteghalal.
While he was there, Samuel became a fan-favourite, playing in front of over 80,000 spectators on a weekly basis and competing in the Asian Champions League.
However, a pay dispute led to a switch to newly promoted Paykan in 2014. Samuel is now a free agent after leaving the club last summer.
"I'm always open to different challenges and this was a huge test which many would not have taken on," he explained. "I played in the Asian Champions League, which was a great experience. It also helped me reinvent myself in another part of the world."
