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From being a cleaner to winning the treble, bricklaying to winning top accolades, Pulse Sports Uganda has summed up the lives of ten players who used to do casual jobs before joining football.
As we appreciate and admire the glitz, glamour and fame that comes with playing football, it's essential to know that most players haven't had it all smooth in their lives.
From being a cleaner to winning the treble, bricklaying to winning top accolades, Pulse Sports Uganda has summed up the lives of ten players who used to do casual jobs before joining football.
1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Martial arts)
Before he got the world at his shoulders, Ibrahimovic had a shot at taekwondo and even attended classes at a club called Enighet in Malmo, where he also received a black belt.
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Ibrahimovic has become one of the finest players of his generation, with successful spells at Malmo FF, Ajax, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona, PSG, Manchester United and LA Galaxy.
2. Peter Schmeichel (Cleaner, textiles and sales manager at WWF)
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Before joining Brondby in 1987 for his first professional stint, Peter Schmeichel's career had already started as a cleaner and a sales and textiles manager at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
He became one of the greatest goalkeepers the English Premier League has ever seen, winning the treble with Manchester United in 1999.
3. Jamie Vardy (Carbon Fiber medical splint factory worker)
Before the world learned about his goalscoring potential and before his professional debut in 2010, Jamie Vardy worked as a technician making medical splints.
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His life has drastically changed into winning the Premier League with Leicester, playing in the champions league and featuring for his native, England.
4. Charlie Austin (Bricklayer)
The former Southampton striker funded his life as a bricklayer after getting released from Reading's academy.
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He would have a professional debut in 2009 and decent spells at Burnley, Swindon and QPR.
5. Miroslav Klose ( Carpenter)
After being told he had no future in football, he enrolled as an apprentice carpenter.
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In one of those daunting turnarounds, he didn't give up and debuted at Kaiserslautern in 1998 before later becoming Germany's all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. He won it in 2014 in Brazil.
6. Edouard Mendy (Registered for Unemployment at 22)
Senegal and Chelsea custodian Edouard Mendy found himself without a job in 2014 for a year after being released by French third-tier side Cherbourg. In that period, he registered for unemployment.
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Upon recommendation of a friend, he joined Marseille as a fourth-choice goalkeeper and grew his CV before joining Reims in 2016, Rennes in 2019 and Chelsea in 2020, where he is a Champions League winner.
7. Junior Messias (Delivering fridges to an Italian amateur team)
Junior Messias' story is that of determination and faith: from playing for a team of Peruvian refugees to delivering fridges in the working week to playing for seven-time UEFA Champions League winners AC Milan.
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8. Carlos Bacca (Bus Conductor's assistant)
Colombian forward Carlos Bacca came from balancing his football aspirations with working as a bus conductor's assistant to playing at some of Europe's top sides.
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He featured for Club Brugge, Sevilla, AC Milan, Villarreal, Granada, Atletico Junior, Baranquilla, and Minerven in his career.
9. Rickie Lambert (Beetroot factory worker)
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Lambert was forced into getting a side job as he was earning nothing at Macclesfield Town in 2001; a local beetroot factory paid him for putting lids on jars.
He, from there, worked his way through Bristol Rovers, Rochdale, Southampton and Liverpool before retiring in 2017 at Cardiff City.
10. Stuart Pearce (Electrician)
Despite making his debut in 1978 at Wealdstone and playing at Nottingham Forest, Pearce used to advertise his electrician credentials on matchdays, as he was still unsure about a career as a footballer.
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Codenamed 'Psycho', he made over 400 appearances at Forest and cemented his name as a regular for England. He also played at Westham, Newcastle United and Manchester City.
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