NOT many professional footballers can say that they’ve enjoyed the university experience – and become a solicitor.
But one former player has now been there and done that.
And as a result he is now a enjoying a totally different lease of life to when he was one of the stars of English football.
The 55-year-old, who is a Premier League winner, studied French, criminology and law at the University of Central Lancashire when he retired at the age of 34 in 2002.
And he hasn’t looked back since.
That player is, of course, former Blackburn Rovers star Stuart Ripley.
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Ripley shot to stardom in the late 1980s while playing for Middlesbrough.
In 1992 he joined Blackburn for a then-record transfer fee of £1.3million.
He made 212 appearances for the Blue and Whites, scoring 14 goals and assisting 34.
The winger also helped his team to the Premier League title in 1995, beating the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal to the trophy.
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During his time at Ewood Park, Ripley’s impressive form earned him a spot in the England squad, although he made just two senior appearances.
He joined Southampton in 1998 and spent loan spells with Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday respectively before retiring.
After hanging up his boots, Ripley enroled at the University of Central Lancashire in order to begin pursuing a different career.
And in 2010 he became a solicitor after studying French, criminology and law.
When speaking to The Guardian, Ripley said: “The only thing I knew I wanted to do when I retired was to go to university.
“I got nine O-levels and then joined Middlesbrough at 16, so that option was taken away. I was in the first team at 17 and life was taking care of itself.
“I won the Premier League and represented my country, but when I retired at 34, I felt I’d missed out by not going to university. So, after taking a bit of time out, I enrolled at the University of Central Lancashire.
“My first intention was to do a foreign languages degree, but that meant a year abroad and I couldn’t just up and leave; by then, the kids were in school. So I ended up on a combined course: French, criminology and law.”
He also admitted that he needed to find another goal after retiring, adding: “Football’s not real life, and if you do move away from it, you get a different perspective and a different grasp on things.
“The rhythm of your life changes completely. When you’re playing, you’ve got two potentially very big highs within a week – you play on a Tuesday or Wednesday and then at the weekend.
“That’s a huge adrenaline rush. When you retire, that’s very difficult to replace. You’ve got to find another goal in life.”
Despite his unique new career, Ripley still has a strong link to football.
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His son, Connor, 30, currently plays for League One club Morecambe.
The goalkeeper has made 33 appearances for the Shrimps so far this season after joining the club last summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
