Footballers with successful second careers | During their playing days, not after retirement

van der star

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Which players do you know who were pursuing a second career during the heyday of their footballing careers? I realize most of them don't need second jobs due to the obscene amount of money they earn from football but there must be a few out there who managed to turn their passion into a secondary career.

First one off the top of my head - Chelcee Grimes. Played for Liverpool Ladies since age 10, followed by stints at Everton, Spurs, Tranmere, and currently plays for Fulham Ladies.



She's also a pretty successful singer/song writer with writing credits for songs for The Saturdays, Kesha, Kylie Minogue, Dua Lipa. Her latest tune is quite nice, and inspired this thread, her and TINI in that video are just :drool:

 

van der star

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Didn't he retire like two years before his wrestling debut? I remember seeing pics of him packing on an insane amount of muscle mass over that period.
 

VorZakone

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Vinnie Jones has acted in movies with some pretty high-profile actors.
 

Thiagoal

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Gary Neville used to be quite good and I believe he’s now a pundit... not sure though
 

MVBDX

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Royston "feck off Moyes" Drenthe started his rap career 2-3 years ago, and from what I recall it wasn't bad, dunno whether we can call it a success story though.
 

redIndianDevil

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Sunny Jim said:
Our own David Beckham and G Nev.
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I'm not sure about the OP but having loads of cash to buy clubs or being pundits is hardly having second careers. Give any sane person money and they can be hotel owner or club owner like Neville.
 

Full bodied red

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Sunny Jim said:
Our own David Beckham and G Nev.
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I read somewhere that The Class of 92 are probably the most succeesful ever post-career businessmen in the UK.

Before them it was probably Robbie Fowler, who is reported to own / be the Landlord of about 175 tenented houses around the UK.

Given their phenomenal earnings and existing wealth, I suspect Rory McIlroy and Lewis Hamilton will figure on the list of the UK's ex-Sportsmen billionaires in the future, as it seems almost impossible for them not to do so. But doing what, I wonder....
 

Devil81

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VorZakone said:
Vinnie Jones has acted in movies with some pretty high-profile actors.
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Always wondered how much he has actually earnt.

He owns a house next door to Pete Sampras!!!

He's only been in a few high profile movies and his football career was during the era where wages were good but average.
 

FujiVice

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Grant Holt became a wrestler and recently drew 6,000 people in Norwich. Which in wrestling, 6000 people is quite massive.
 

saintquin

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Mick Channon not done too bad as a race horse trainer!
 

Hansa

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van der star said:
Which players do you know who were pursuing a second career during the heyday of their footballing careers?
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Simen Agdestein. Fairly skilful striker with 8 caps for Norway in the late 80s before injuries forced his retirement at 25, just before the team began its giant-killing act. By that time, however, he had already become a chess grandmaster (in 1985), was ranked #16 in the world at his peak, and later coached Magnus Carlsen. In fact, one could almost argue that he was first and foremost a chess player with a successful second career. All in all, a pretty unique combination.
 

Snow

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redIndianDevil said:
I'm not sure about the OP but having loads of cash to buy clubs or being pundits is hardly having second careers. Give any sane person money and they can be hotel owner or club owner like Neville.
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Yet close to half of professional athletes in the US go broke a few years after their careers are over.
 

Chipper

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There were quite a few footballers who played a bit of cricket and vice versa, including our own Arnie Sidebottom.

Denis Compton, Willie Watson and Chris Balderstone are others.
 

Zlatattack

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Alexis Sanchez successfully play piano in bars up and down the country.

Jesse Lingard is a social media influencer who also plays football for Manchester United.

Phil Jones is a professional sicknote who plays football occasionally to supplement his income.
 

Gentleman Jim

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Chipper said:
There were quite a few footballers who played a bit of cricket and vice versa, including our own Arnie Sidebottom.

Denis Compton, Willie Watson and Chris Balderstone are others.
Click to expand...
Ted Hemsley played about 500 league games mostly for Sheffield United and scored about 10000 runs for Worcestershire.
 

Nico87

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Curtis Woodhouse became an English boxing champion, I think the lead singer from indie band Glasvegas also played in the SPL.
 
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Big Ben Foster

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Didn't one of the Bayern guys make a fortune from running a sausage factory? Hoeness or Rummenigge I think.
 
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