What way to choose? premium

It’s common knowledge that riches have wings. And what is written below is about footballers who live full life while they play and need to find themselves after hanging their boots. Footballers normally skip the period which youngsters normally spend on getting education and just some players go in for schooling while playing or after retirement.

Young players pen their multimillion contracts and some do not think about their life after, while others make investments.

Years of glory are not everlasting and footballers choose different ways to go after the end of their professional playing career.

1.  Managerial career

Clear majority of football managers are former players. They are aware of the system inside out and many of ex-players find success bringing their managerial plans into life. Of course many retired footballers begin as coaches, they climb the career ladder they take managerial positions passing their knowledge on to the next generation. Many players go in for administrative work.

2.  Punditry

Television punditry is very popular among retired players. They can do expert analysis due to their practice and theoretic experience. Of course it’s interesting to listen to an expert while watching major football tournaments on TV.

3.  Business

No one can argue with the fact that investing money into your own business is a good idea. Former Dundee United midfielder David Bowman runs the flower business with his wife. Ruel Fox now owns a bar in Ipswich. Luis Figo also runs a bar in the Algarve, Portugal. Belgium international Phillipe Albert runs fruit and vegetable company in Belgium. Former Tottenham player, John Chiedozie, currently runs children’s play inflatable equipment company, providing air animals for parties in Hampshire. Momo Sylla, former Leicester City winger, became an exporter of soap in Leicester.

4.  Declare bankruptcy

The saying ‘A good name is better than riches’ is not about footballers. Especially after of the fact that three out of five former Premier League players face bankruptcy became known. We cannot imagine how is it possible to earn huge sums of money and then find oneself penniless?

These examples show that it’s easy to lose reputation the same moment you become bankrupt. Among those who declared bankruptcy are Aston Villa ex-player Lee Hendrie, ex-Manchester United players Eric Djemba-Djemba and Keith Gillespie, Celestine Babayaro, former Liverpool players John Barnes and John Arne Riise and others.

5.  Become an actor

We can see many footballers in commercials and some go further and take up acting in movies. Eric Cantona was given a roles in Elizabeth (1998), Jack Says (2008), French Film (2009) and Looking for Eric (2009).

Vinnie Jones starred in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Snatch, Gone in 60 Seconds, Mean Machine, X-Men: The Last Stand and several other films, in some movies he had episode roles.

Former Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur player Gary Lineker took up a career in the media and played in Bend It Like Beckham (2002).

6.  Politics

George Weah, named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1995, turned to politics and ran for presidency in 2005 but narrowly missed out.

Gianni Rivera, an a retired Milan and Italian international player, was a vice-president at Milan and then became a member of the Italian Parliament.

The list of footballers who enjoy politics can be continued as many footballers are already well-known and keep on enjoying popularity when they become politicians.

7.  Other ways to go

Footballers get fat like a controversial example of Maradona, who is one of the best footballer in the world, or fight a battle with alcoholism or drugs like Brazilian legend Garrincha, George Best, Ferenc Puskas, Malcolm Macdonald, unfortunately this list can be expanded, because many footballers let fame get the best of them.

These guys set positive examples: Arjan de Zeeuw, ex-Wigan Athletic player, is a career-switcher, who went in for detective investigation, ex-Totttenham, Peter Collins, became a market trader in Romford, former Bolton Wanderers, Gudni Bergsson, practices law in Iceland. Norway international and ex-Celtic striker, Harald Brattbakk got a profession of a pilot and works for one of the airlines in Norway.

To come to an end it’s important to mention that everyone chooses his own way and in fact there are hundreds of occupations to follow in order not to go down the drain and adjust to life after football. According to Albert Einstein to keep your balance, you must keep moving.