‘I have a level of joy I had as a kid’: Sordell and Holt relish non-league life
Growing numbers of former top-flight footballers are prolonging their playing days down the pyramid. Two of them explain why
Once the floodlights fade, most professional footballers are lost to the game, a small percentage moving into coaching, a profession as ruthless as playing. Often, injury precludes ex-pros from playing any further. A considerable amount never kick a ball again, unable to repeat or unwilling to relive their playing days.
It is also far less common to see older players drop down the leagues than it was a generation ago. Premier League wages dictate that. There has, though, been a recent small, growing trend of former players dropping down the pyramid to play non-league football.
