Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona, Thierry Henry? The 10 best football players to return to former clubs

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The second time might not always be sweeter than the first, but there is something magnetic about returning to your former club. A raft of footballing icons have trodden the path towards what they used to call home, with legends such as Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry all enjoying a second spell at familiar hunting grounds.

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There is no place like home, right?

With the news that Lucaz Fabianski has rejoined West Ham United after sampling life as a free agent for little over two months, what better time to remember the best players who were reunited with their former clubs?

Not every homecoming turns out to be a happy one, as many of the below can attest to.

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But class is permanent, so they say, and you cannot put a price on supporters welcoming back a once-beloved icon to relive the glory days.

So without further ado, here are TNT Sports' 10 best players to return to their former clubs.

(Not based on the performances in their second - or indeed third - spell and most certainly not in any particular order)

Diego Maradona (Boca Juniors)

Some say the greatest to ever play the sport, the late Diego Maradona spent almost a decade terrorising defences in Europe before returning to his native Argentina.

While the 1986 FIFA World Cup winner kicked off his iconic career with boyhood club Argentinos Juniors, a one-season spell at Boca Juniors provided the perfect eligibility for Maradona to make this catalogue of greatness.

His second spell at the Buenos Aires-based side was not exactly sparkling, but he still managed to carry on contributing for two years, well into his late 30s.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Others say the greatest to ever play the sport, Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong at the age of 40.

Before his move to Al Nassr, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner spent one and a half seasons at his old stomping ground: Manchester United.

Despite not picking up any more silverware to add to his huge trophy haul from 2003-2009, Ronaldo surpassed his goals per game record from his first spell, netting 27 times in 54 appearances across all competitions.

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Ian Rush (Liverpool)

Still Liverpool's all-time top scorer with a staggering 346 goals, Ian Rush was central to The Reds' dominance throughout the 1980s.

The former Wales international picked up four league titles in five seasons, as well as two European Cups, under Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish.

One season playing for Juventus cut Rush's Liverpool career in twain, but on his return, he racked up two more FA Cups, one League Cup and another First Division trophy to add to his collection.

Thierry Henry (Arsenal)

Thierry Henry was arguably the face of the Premier League in the early to mid-2000s and for good reason.

Part of Arsenal's famous Invincibles, scorer of 174 top-flight goals and winner of five major trophies, Henry went on to feature for Barcelona and New York Red Bulls.

Africa Cup of Nations duty beckoned for Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh midway through his stint in the United States, and Henry returned on loan in 2012 to score on his second debut (in the FA Cup), and his final league appearance for The Gunners saw his tally tick over to 175.

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic represented three Serie A giants in his epic career - Juventus, Internazionale and AC Milan - but only one of them got another look at the 6'5" goal-machine.

Stints at Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and LA Galaxy separated his first spell at AC Milan from his second, after which he bowed out of professional football.

But even in the twilight of his career, the Sweden legend managed to score a highly respectable 34 goals in 64 league appearances for the seven-time UEFA Champions League winners.

Didier Drogba (Chelsea)

In a professional career that saw him play in six countries on three separate continents, Didier Drogba still found time to return to his happiest hunting ground.

Departing immediately after helping clinch Chelsea's first Champions League title, the Cote d'Ivoire marksman needed little convincing to re-sign for Jose Mourinho in the Portuguese's second bite at the Stamford Bridge cherry.

And it was a triumphant reunion as Drogba made 28 Premier League appearances in The Blues' title-winning campaign of 2014/15.

Luis Suarez (Nacional)

Former Barcelona and Liverpool star Luis Suarez only spent two seasons playing professionally at his youth side Nacional, with a gap of 16 years separating them.

In the interim, Suarez also featured for Groningen, Ajax and Atletico Madrid, sealing six league titles in the Netherlands and Spain.

And just as he did back in 2005/06, the striker fired Nacional to another Uruguayan Primera Division trophy by the end of his second spell in 2022.

Kaka (AC Milan and Sao Paulo)

The only player on this list to head back to two different clubs in the course of their career, Brazil maestro Kaka was a very special talent on his day.

But many would say that his day had passed by the time he re-joined AC Milan from Real Madrid in 2013, with injuries hampering his time in the Spanish capital.

His Serie A homecoming would only last a campaign, before a loan to his childhood side Sao Paulo and a move to new MLS franchise Orlando City rounded off his time in the sun.

Kaka made 24 appearances in his second spell at Sao Paulo

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Neymar (Santos)

Neymar - at the time of writing - is the only player present on this list to still be at the team he returned to: Santos.

It was there that the ex-Barcelona and PSG forward began his storied career, making more appearances for the Brazilian Serie A outfit (225) than at any other subsequent club.

A seven-match spell at Al Hilal was his latest assignment before moving back to Santos, where he has netted a combined total of 142 goals and counting.

Wayne Rooney (Everton)

An icon of the Premier League, Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old at Everton, making 77 appearances in all competitions before a move to Manchester United beckoned in 2004.

His time at Old Trafford was fruitful to say the least, as the England star won five Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League.

But after 13 seasons in red, Rooney returned to the blue half of Merseyside for one last hurrah, scoring his final 10 Premier League goals to take him to 208 and third on the all-time list.