Benni McCarthy, the former striker, played for seven football clubs in five countries during an illustrious career that saw him become South Africa’s all-time top-scorer with 32 goals.

Born in Cape Town, 1977, McCarthy turns 39.

He played for a number of big clubs including Celta Vigo, FC Porto, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United, before retiring from football in June 2013.

Apart from his fantastic stint with the national team, McCarthy also won the Champions League with Porto in 2004, when the Portuguese club beat France’s Monaco 3-0 in the final.

Here are the other stars who are celebrating:

1986: Nedum Onuoha, ex-Manchester City defender, who now plays for Queens Park Rangers (30).

1987: Brian Little, Canadian ice-hockey player for NHL outfit – Winnipeg Jets (29).

1988: Russell Westbrook, American NBA player, who plays for Oklahoma City Thunder (28).