Andros Townsend, Everton’s winger, has shared his plans for retirement once he ends his playing career, writes the GN. The 31-year-old is currently recovering from a cruciate ligament injury, which has given him the opportunity to contemplate his future. He is pursuing his UEFA A Licence and also working as a pundit. Townsend has been thinking about his post-football life for the past two to three years, as it’s a topic that is often on the minds of players once they reach the ages of 28 or 29. He discussed his plans for life after football in an interview with FC Business Magazine.
“I have dabbled in the football media as well to get experience there. Consequently when that day comes when I do retire, it won’t be a culture shock.
“It won’t be a case of, ‘What am I going to do for the rest of my life now?’ Hopefully I will be at the stage where I have experience in the media, I’ve got experience in coaching and I’ve got my coaching badges, so it will be a case of which path do I want to take?”
Being sidelined with an ACL injury for more than a year now, Townsend has had ample time to contemplate his next steps. Everton manager Sean Dyche has acknowledged that the English winger is not yet fit enough to return to the pitch. Nevertheless, Townsend has utilized this setback to consider his future options in football, be it in coaching or as a pundit. Planning for life after retirement is something that concerns most footballers, and Townsend has shown astuteness in proactively thinking about this critical decision.