THEIR days in the Premier League may be over, but these 11 players are still playing football further down the pyramid.
The money and glamour of representing England and playing in the best division in the world is gone with a love for the beautiful game taking over.
Stars such as Jamie Vardy, Michail Antonio and Dan Burn all begun their careers in non-league before making their way to the Prem but some go in the other direction.
This XI of pundits, office workers and failed wonderkids all now ply their trade at a semi-professional level.
Curtis Anderson
The goalkeeper won the Under-17s World Cup in a star-studded team alongside the likes of Jadon Sancho and Phil Foden in 2017.
But Anderson’s career did not go on to senior football.
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He was on the books of Manchester City and impressed Pep Guardiola but tried to force a move to Blackburn that didn’t materislise.
The shot stopper eventually left to move across the pond to Charlotte Independence in the US second tier before returning to Wycombe.
He then fell out of love with football and bounced around non-league clubs and is now at Kendal Town.
To make ends meet the 23-year-old now works a 9-5 job in finance.
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Andre Wisdom
Wisdom now turns out for Warrington Town in the sixth tier.
He broke through at Liverpool, going on to play 22 times for the first-team before loan spells at West Brom, Norwich and RB Salzburg.
The ex-England Under-21 international then spent four years at Derby that ended in him being released in 2021.
Wisdom, 30, was stabbed in an “unprovoked assault and robbery” a year earlier and admitted his body is no longer the same.
Ryan Shotton
Shotton played Premier League football with Stoke at the beginning of his career and eventually made a name for himself as a tough tackling Championship defender.
He played for the likes of Barnsley, Wigan, Derby, Birmingham and Middlesbrough.
But he is now a player-manager with Hanley Town in the Northern Premier League Division One West and runs a pub.
Matt Lowton
Lowton was a Premier League stalwart for Aston Villa and Burnley for eight seasons.
Aged 34, he was released by the Clarets in the summer and is keeping fit by playing for eighth tier club Witton Albion.
Chris Waddle
Waddle has 62 England caps to his name and at the height of his career was one of the best wingers in the world.
He won three league titles with Marseille, the FA Cup with Tottenham and also had successful spells with Newcastle and Sheffield Wednesday.
Aged 62, Waddle could be getting on the bus for free but the pundit still occasionally plays for Hallam FC in Sheffield.
He has come out of retirement twice to play for the club as recently as this year.
Nya Kirby
The midfielder was another like Anderson from the famous England Under-17 World Cup-winning side of 2017.
Kirby was in Crystal Palace’s youth-team at the time and was later loaned to Blackpool and Tranmere.
But he never made the cut and now pulls the strings for Oxford City in the National League.
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts
Buckley-Ricketts was an exciting youngster for Man City and England.
To help his career he was loaned out to Dutch side Twente and Oxford United.
But he failed to meet the hype and has fallen down the pyramid to Warrington Town, where he plays alongside Wisdom.
Jordon Ibe
Ibe was once described by Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers as “a really talented player with a bright footballing brain”.
He played 58 times for the Reds before being signed by Bournemouth for £15million seven years ago.
However, Ibe never fulfilled his potential and subsequently joined Derby.
Yet he played just once before mutually terminating his contract as he battled with depression and admitted he was in a “dark place”.
The 27-year-old took time away from football and is now back with non-league Ebbsfleet United.
Kyel Reid
Reid was a product of West Ham’s academy and enjoyed a journeyman career with sides such as Crystal Palace, Wolves, Sheffield United, Charlton, Bradford and Coventry.
The 35-year-old has tumbled down the football pyramid over the years and has been with non-league teams since 2019.
He now plays in the tenth tier with Rayners Lane.
Leroy Lita
Lita featured in the Prem with Reading after helping them win the Championship in 2006.
He also played for Swansea in the top-flight and a host of second division clubs like Charlton, Norwich, Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham and Brighton.
After shock spells with AO Chania in Crete and Thai outfit Sisaket, Lita returned to England to feature in non-league.
He has since played for Hednesford Town, Ilkeston Town and Nuneaton Borough.
Papiss Cisse
Cisse was a fan’s favourite at Newcastle for four years, scoring 44 goals in 131 games, including a volley that goes down as one of the greatest goals in Premier League history.
Many thought he must have called it a day by now but the striker this week revealed he is training with Robbie Savage-run Macclesfield Town.
Cisse said: “I want to continue to play, I don’t know where and when but honestly in my body and how I’m training, I feel like, ‘Papiss is going to play.'”
Manager: Pascal Chimbonda
Some ex-Premier League stars hang up their boots and venture into management.
Ex-Tottenham, Wigan, Sunderland and Blackburn full-back Pascal Chimbonda has done just that, deciding to start at the very bottom with ninth-tier Skelmersdale United.
On his appointment, he said: “I’ve been inspired by Pep Guardiola, Joe Mourinho, Diego Simeone and Zinedine Zidane, and as such just like those great managers, my philosophy will be to play attractive football.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
