My brother works with a guy who came through Southampton's youth team set up at about the same time as Matt Le Tisser.

About once a year they play 5-a-side against a bunch of them (le-tis, Le-Saux, Francis Benali, Greame Stack and some others)
My brothers work team gets younger and fitter every year and they get older but they absolutely wipe the floor with them every time, its not even close.

Just levels of skill higher, no amount of running can make up for it.