The hustle and bustle of a changing room, banter with teammates, daily routines and playing the sport you love. That’s the life of a professional athlete.
But when you retire, you lose it all. Routine gone, teammates gone, sport gone…life over
.This is the reality many elite athletes face and Premier League title winner Danny Simpson is beginning to realise this could be his future.
Simpson has not played a game since January 2022 and the 36-year-old is already starting to see what life may be like once he has retired.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT.com, the former Leicester City defender said: “For elite athletes, I think you go through so many highs and you’re in such a routine.
“So when it comes to an end and it stops, whether it’s through injury or getting older and retiring, it’s hard to replace that.
“Being around the squad, having the routine, the highs of winning and performing, going out in front of thousands of fans and then knowing what to do next.”
He continued: “It’s like being in the real world again. It’s a thing you can laugh about but you don’t know how to deal with it or what to do. I haven’t got a GP for example.
“There’s all these little things that sometimes in football, as athletes you’re so consumed, you want to win, it’s your career, your one chance but you’re actually in a bubble that can pop so suddenly. You then realise what real life is.
“That’s something I’m going through and have been going through.”
Simpson is currently training with Macclesfield Town and has not yet officially retired, but admitted the thought of hanging up his boots is something that scares him.
“I haven’t [retired yet]! I’m still struggling to let it go!”, he said.
You never know. I keep playing at Macclesfield because you just never know. But there comes a point where you have to let it go and you have to retire.
“It is difficult and, for me, I have missed football and I’ve missed being around the lads but it comes to a point where you will
have to retire.
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