In a special Midnight Caller Neil Atkinson and John Gibbons speak to Alan Gernon (@AlanGernon), author of Retired: What Happens to Footballers When The Game’s Up.
We discuss many of the issues that come out in the book, depression, unrealistic expectations on young players, divorce, bankruptcy and how a player copes when very suddenly the game doesn’t want to know.
We also talk about what can be done to help footballers adjust to life outside the game and why it is a problem for society, not just the individuals concerned.
You can purchase a copy of Alan’s book ‘Retired: What Happens to Footballers When The Game’s Up?’ here – ‘Retired: What Happens to Footballers When The Game’s Up?’
In a free clip from the show, Alan talks about the pitfalls that recently retired footballers can encounter.
This is why you’re the best lads – makes you think, makes you laugh, makes you pick up a good book and read again. Top show!
On a human level, I can completely relate to footballers retiring at a young age.
I was a Royal Marines Commando for 22 years before being forced to retire at 41
I had joined a band of brothers who rightly consider themselves to be at the top of their profession.
Every day for those 22 years you think that your life will never change and then suddenly it is ripped away from you and you have to start all over again from pretty much the beginning, without any support from your previous profession or your old work froends, generally.
I suffered depression and anxiety as I struggled to fit into a society who thinks a 41 year old should know where he fits into the general scheme of things.
In reality I felt like I did when I had left school at 16, but this time I had to immediately find a job and a house (we lived in married quarters during my service) as I was married and had two children who needed housing, clothing, feeding and schooling.
I had lost everything that made sense to me, and what made it worse I had to do it all on my own.
Although I had a good family network behind me, in the end of the day it was down to me to sort my life out and this puts an enormous amount of stress on a human being.