While it can be hard to believe, there are thousands of footballers who play the game and make a living.
Not all of them do, however the ones you see at the top level, practically have just the one job and that is to play the game.
Now, this doesn’t go for every player, as unfortunately, not everybody is lucky to make millions or even live of the money on their contract.
So in this post, I will shed a light on a player’s position, and whether or not they have other jobs or not.
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Do Professional Footballers Have Other Jobs?
For a professional footballer, they won’t work other jobs as playing football is their main job.
This is due to a multitude of reasons, the main one being that they earn significantly higher amounts than your average person.
With that said, there are footballers who do choose to get involved with various ventures while being on the books of a club.
Due to the following and the amounts they earn, they are given the freedom to pursue other things out of football.
For instance, there are footballers who trade stocks, have got into real estate, and even run hotels as a side hobby.
You wouldn’t see them though down working on a construction site before training or doing a shift in a shop on a weekend.
Reasons Why Most Footballers Don’t Work Other Jobs?
Now while we have established professional footballers don’t need to work other jobs, let me take you through some of the reasons why that it.
For these reasons, I am talking specifically about players who are in the top division of their country (i.e Premier League, La Liga, etc).
1. Make Enough To Live Comfortably
Now the first reason for this is the wages, the higher the level you are the more money you get paid.
If you are at the top of the pyramid then you are more likely to get paid a lot of money.
So for a number of professional footballers, especially those in the top 5 leagues are getting more than enough to live comfortably.
Some even make more in one week than your average joe makes in a whole year.
That means from a financial point of view, there is no need to work any other job apart from football.
2. Employed To Do One Job
Being a professional footballer means you have to abide by the club’s schedule.
This means reporting into the facilities during the week, whether that be for training, meetings, or gym sessions.
A footballer would therefore struggle to keep up a full-time job outside of football, while also playing for their club.
For youngsters who are still establishing themselves and aren’t on a long-term deal, will be doing degrees as part of their contract with the club.
This is to ensure they do have a backup option if that club does decide to let them go.
However to the professional footballers who have a long-term deal, and are considered part of the first-team squad, the full focus in on football.
There have been a few occasions where players have retired at a professional level because they want to choose a different career path.
A few examples include ex-Seattle Sounders footballer Harry Schipp and Brandon Vincent of Chicago Fire, who all retired in the 20’s to pursue something different.
3. Celebrities
Once a player breaks out at a professional club, their life changes completely.
This is because playing for top clubs gains the interest of followers of the sport, which translates into followers on social media.
Along with becoming a public figure, what is the case for many footballers is they become famous through millions of followers.
Due to this, a footballer couldn’t work a typical job which playing at a high level, as it would be very difficult with the number of people who recognize them.
Saying that though, unless it was a high-paying job, it is unlikely that with the first point over how much money they’re making, they would want to do another job.
Working Other Jobs Lower Down The Pyramid
Everything I have mentioned above applies to professional footballers, however, for those not playing at that level, things are a lot different.
From as high as the conference all the way down to amateur, players are not getting paid enough to just play football.
Instead, these players will report to training and games, however will live the life of your typical person by having a 9 to 5 job.
The reason for this is simple, clubs at lower levels make as much money. They don’t have the viewership, the big sponsorship deals, interest, or merchandise.
As a result, funds are much less, meaning players will be lucky even in the conference league a level that is still considered high to play football for a living.
Having Back-Up Options
Even in League 1 and 2, which are the third and fourth level of the game, there will be some players especially younger individuals who are doing degrees outside of the game.
This is to make sure that they have something to fall back on if they get released or injured.
As at the end of the day, football is a sport that changes quickly, where players can go from earning lots to being free agents.
For players at the top level for example Premier League will be somewhat set for life after a year or two under the books of a club.
Has the average contract at this level is £60,000 a week, which over a year is 6 figures. These kinds of numbers aren’t given to lower levels though.
Conclusion
While there are millions of footballers worldwide the vast majority of them are working other jobs.
As we have discussed today, professional footballers don’t need to nor would it be a good idea for them to work another job.
With football being their career, unless they lose interest which has happened to a few players over the years, it only makes sense their focus stays on their current career being football.
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