RETIRING FROM FOOTBALL is one of the hardest things any professional footballer ever has to do in their life but what is even harder is deciding what to do afterwards.
Many go into coaching or punditry but many more fall by the wayside. A study recently done by FIFPro (the world players’ union) revealed that 39 percent of the 121 former footballers that participated have suffered from depression or anxiety.
The post-football world can be a very worrying place for players, none more so than former Ireland U21 international Ben Burgess.
Burgess has been writing today for BBC Sport about the decisions he faced when he was forced to retire from the game at 30 years of age and how his new career path led him to the classroom.
Burgess, who made two appearances for Ireland at U21 level, describes how a knee injury forced him to retire from the game just weeks after he’d signed for Tranmere Rovers.
Confusion, fear, anger, desperation, apprehension. These are just a few of the emotions running through your head when you realise that the only job you’ve ever wanted, the only life you’ve ever known, is coming to an end.
During his career the 33-year-old became the first Hull City player to score a hat-trick at the KC Stadium and helped Blackpool gain promotion from League One to the Championship and then up to the Premier League.
Saying goodbye to the lads who I’d only known a couple of weeks had me close to tears. It was more the thought of never being in a changing room again, never scoring a goal again, never having that banter again, more than missing anyone in particular.
Retiring from football at an early age is not an unusual thing. The physically grueling life that players lead eventually takes its toll before the the body just refuses to go on. Burgess says that in the last few months of his career his injury had gotten so bad that he wasn’t able to walk after games and had to spend Sundays and Mondays with ice strapped to his leg.
Among other players forced to retire early due to injury are Just Fontaine (retired at the age of 28 fours years after scoring 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup, a record that still stands), Marco Van Basten (retired at 31 due to a recurring ankle injury), Didier Deschamps (retired at 31) and of course Richie Sadlier (retired when he was just 24 due to a hip injury).
While some players take unconventional routes after retirement, for example Hidetoshi Nakata is now a model in Japan, not many take the route of Burgess and become a primary school teacher.
Burgess says that coaching was the last thing he wanted to go into and believes that some players “sleepwalk” into it. He says more players need to look outside of football for opportunities.
All footballers need to realise that there is so much to achieve and enjoy outside of the “football bubble” we have been cocooned in all our lives.
After a short stint of writing and some radio commentary ‘The Bird Man’ (known for his flapping arm celebration) took up a year-long Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and has just completed his first year at the new job.
He says he can draw plenty of similarities between the teaching world and the football world.
Just like football there’s been ups and downs. I’ve had goals to achieve, I’ve had pressure on me, I’ve dealt with an intimidating crowd (of eight-year-olds). Most of all, though, I’ve had a really enjoyable year where each day is different.The changing room has been replaced by a staff room full of women, but the banter is still there, albeit with less swearing and no look-a-likes pinned above their seat.
The former Blackpool and Hull City striker thinks footballers need to be more aware of what’s in store when they do retire and open to the idea of doing the unconventional.
Instead of being paralysed by fear and apprehension, hopefully they will feel excitement and a sense of opportunity at the next stage of their working life, which could well be until they are 68.
