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    Former Premier league star Thomas Gravesen lives in Las Vegas, is believed to have a £100m fortune and plays poker

    WHAT a life!When former Everton and Real Madrid hardman Thomas Gravesen hung up his boots at the age of 33, even he could never have thought retirement would’ve gone so smoothly.
    Thomas Gravesen has been living it up since moving to Las Vegas
    Yet, 16 years since joining Real Madrid, the Danish international, who was famed for his tough-tackling that earned him the nickname ‘Mad Dog’, is now living a life of luxury in Las Vegas.
    He is astonishingly said to have made around £100m from investments and playing poker since he last kicked a ball.
    His riches mean that he lives in a mansion behind a private community, where his neighbours include the likes of Hollywood star Nicolas Cage and tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.
    And if that’s not all, Gravesen, now 45, has settled down in Sin City with a gorgeous Czech model… Jealous? You will be.
    MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
    Gravesen didn’t do too bad in the game financially.
    In fact, at the height of his fame – playing at the Bernabeu – he was reportedly earning £85,000-per-week in 2005.
    According to Danish tabloid BT, knowing he needed to plan for a life after football, Gravesen invested his wages into several financial businesses.
    And luckily, the Dane struck gold – making tens of millions when many of his investments came through.
    BT didn’t say what Gravesen gambled his money on, but they revealed he took his dosh and ran… to Las Vegas!
    Tough-tackling Gravesen earned around £85k-per-week at Real MadridCredit: EPA
    Gravesen is now reportedly worth around £100mCredit: Rex Features
    Gravesen took his new-found riches to Las Vegas and started playing pokerCredit: Getty – Contributor
    VIVA LAS VEGAS
    With money in his pocket and dollar signs in his eyes, ‘Mad Dog’ went to Sin City to start a new chapter in his life at the age of 37.
    And armed with a bank balance that would make your eyes water, he wasn’t going to do it half-heartedly.
    Danish tabloid BT claimed Gravesen took his newly made fortune to the casinos – where he enjoyed games of poker.
    But, because he’s not so well-known in the US, he was able to fly under the radar, and just appeared to be another high-roller.
    HIS ACCOMPLICE
    Gravesen moved to Las Vegas in 2013 with his stunning partner Kamila PersseCredit: Facebook
    Persse is known to join Gravesen at the poker tables in Las Vegas casinosCredit: Facebook
    Former model Persse is now a estate agentCredit: Facebook
    One of the reasons Gravesen is said to have moved to America was because of the love of a good woman.
    The man who once play-wrestled Ronaldo during training, knocking one of his teeth out in the process, fell in love with Czech-American stunner, Kamila Persse.
    BT reported that he followed her to the States, they married, and the pair are said to love the Las Vegas casino circuit, as well as the clubs and bars.
    Now 43, she regularly joins him in games of poker, blackjack and roulette.
    A retired model, Persse has since taken up real estate, working for an established US firm.WHERE’S HIS DIGS?
    The wealthy people of Las Vegas either live in a fancy penthouse at the top of a casino, or behind a private, gated community.
    The latter is how Gravesen likes it, who clearly likes to have his privacy respected.
    According to reports, Gravesen settled into Summerlin, an affluent area that lies at the edge of the Spring Mountains with Red Rock Canyon to the west.
    National Geographic Adventure named it the number one place to live and play in 2007.
    Gravesen lives in the exclusive Canyon Fairways gated community of Summerlin in Las VegasCredit: Luxury Homes Las Vegas
    Houses can cost as much as £4.5m in Canyon FairwaysCredit: Luxury Homes Las Vegas
    Gravesen has some fancy celebrity neighbours tooCredit: Luxury Homes Las Vegas
    Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage is said to live in the Canyon FairwaysCredit: Corbis – Getty
    And with the area boasting residents with an average annual income of £120,000, you can imagine a property there doesn’t come cheap.
    Gravesen’s home can be found behind the gated community of Canyon Fairways, which is surrounded by incredible golf courses, including  TPC Las Vegas, Tournament Players Club Summerlin and Angel Park Golf Club.
    Homes inside the compound can cost as much as £5m.
    NEED FOR SPEED
    With his wealth and lifestyle, you can imagine that Gravesen is riding a tasty motor.
    The biography, Mad Dog Gravesen: The Last of the Modern Footballing Mavericks claims he’s been spotted driving a Mercedes SLR McLaren.

    And carrying a price tag of almost £400,000, you can bet he’s careful with it zooming along Nevada’s freeways.
    Only 2,157 Mercedes SLR McLarens were made, and each one was bespoke to the buyer’s needs.
    Able to hit a top speed of 208 mph, it also shows Gravesen’s need for speed.
    Gravesen is said to drive a £400k Mercedes SLR McLaren around Las VegasCredit: Alamy
    Gravesen has made £80m playing poker, according to reportsCredit: Rex Features
    Barcelona stars Pique and Vidal win £500k in pro poker tournament with £25k buy-in More

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    Ex-Liverpool star Daniel Agger is now a tattoo artist and invested in sewers when his career came to an end

    DANIEL AGGER’S retirement is much like his playing career – mixing dirty work and artistry.Following his premature retirement in 2016, at the age of 31, the former Liverpool hard-man decided to put money into his passion and necessity: tattoos and poop.
    Former Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is now a qualified tattoo artist
    The Danish defender trained to be a tattoo artist and is now part of one of the biggest parlours across the world, called Tattoodo.
    But for Agger that was not it, as he had more money to invest in s***.
    Now 36, Agger launched a company in 2013 called KloAgger, putting £450,000 into a company that manages sewage systems in Denmark.
    So how did they come up with the name? KloAgger translates to ‘Agger toilet’.
    Danish defender Agger has also invested in a sewage companyCredit: Kloagger
    He runs it alongside his brother Marco and a friendCredit: Kloagger
    The name KloAgger translates directly to ‘Toilet Agger’Credit: Kloagger
    Agger’s sewage company is only based in his homeland of DenmarkCredit: Kloagger
    Agger leaves the daily running of the company to his brotherCredit: Kloagger
    Agger is regularly involved with the firm but his younger brother Marco and their friend Rune Rasmussen oversee it day-to-day.
    Inked-up Agger is more interested in the tats.
    He started and finished his career at Danish club Brondby, and it was as a 15-year-old youth player that he got his first work done.
    “I was about 15 and on a school trip to Paris,” Agger said in an interview on Tattoodo’s website.
    The 36-year-old is more into his tattoosCredit: Twitter @danielagger
    Agger got his first tattoo while a 15-year-old boy on a school tripCredit: Action Images
    The former Liverpool centre-back has a vikings graveyard across his backCredit: Getty – Contributor
    Agger signed for Liverpool in 2006, brought in by Rafael BenitezCredit: AFP – Getty
    He won the Community Shield and League Cup during his 12 years at the clubCredit: PA:Press Association
    “It wasn’t something I’d thought about before. Me and a friend went into the shop and said that’s what we’re going to have and we got it. I still have it today.”
    But it’s been added to dramatically, with almost every inch of his body containing a tattoo.
    There’s the viking graveyard across his back, the love hearts on his calves, Latin proverbs all over his body and the names of his family members etched in.
    “I see it as one piece,” Agger, a qualified tattooist, said. “When I speak to people I talk about my tattoo as one piece but obviously every tattoo has a story, some better than others.”
    Agger sees his tattoos as just one big art workCredit: Instagram @danielagger22
    The Dane is a qualified tattoo artist and invested in a big parlour called TattoodoCredit: Instagram @danielagger22
    Agger left Liverpool for Brondby in 2014Credit: PA:Empics Sport
    One of the more recent is the ‘YNWA’ stamped onto his knuckles – the well-known Liverpool acronym for Anfield’s anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.
    “Timing was quite good,” Agger said. “[There were] a lot of rumours sending me to another club for a lot of money but I knew I was staying.
    “Somehow I wanted to show that to the footballing world and this was a way I wanted to show it.”
    Agger did eventually leave Liverpool in 2014 and spent two years at Brondby before ending his career earlier than expected.
    Back problems throughout his career saw Agger relying on painkillers to see him through, but he believes they were his downfall.
    Agger got YNWA printed onto his knuckles during speculation over his future at LiverpoolCredit: Instagram @danielagger22
    Agger wanted to show that he did not plan to leave Anfield
    He was part of a strong Liverpool side alongside Steven GerrardCredit: Instagram @danielagger22
    Agger retired in 2016 at the age of 31 which he believes was due to painkillersCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

    “I have taken too many anti-inflammatories in my career,” he told Jyllands-Posten.
    “I know that full well, and it sucks, but I did stop it [in the end]. I am not gaining anything personally from saying this but I can only hope that other athletes do.
    “It could be that others take a pill or two less.”
    Agger: England have a strong squad More

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    Ex Liverpool, West Ham and Charlton star Paul Konchesky now owns a pie and mash cafe since hanging up his boots

    WHEN planning for a life after football, maybe it’s best to think with your stomach rather than your head.That’s what ex Charlton and Liverpool star Paul Konchesky, now 39, did when he took over a cafe in Brentwood, Essex in 2015.
    Paul Konchesky now runs his own pie and mash cafeCredit: Splash News
    Former Charlton left-back Konchesky opened Konch’s Kafe in 2015 in Essex
    The former Premier League left-back renamed the site Konch’s Kafe, and started selling traditional East End grub like pie and mash and hasn’t looked back since.
    And making sure he’s keeping it in the family, Konchesky has got his mum Carol in to run her son’s operation.
    An experienced chef, she used to cook in the kitchen of the Royal Oak pub in Essex.
    LOVES HIS PIES
    Pie and mash is something that reminds the two-cap England international of his youth days as a trainee with the Addicks, even if his food-intake wasn’t quite fitting for a wannabe pro footballer.
    Konchesky told the Daily Mail: “There was this pie-and-mash shop next to our school in Dagenham.
    “Every Tuesday we’d all have mash and liquor for a pound in a takeaway cup.
    “Every Friday it’d be proper pie, mash and liquor, with jellied eels. And a cream soda. Without fail.
    “I used to be a right dumpling with a big fat face. I was quite tubby when I had my first fitness test at Charlton.
    “I was in the first team at 16 with John Robinson and that, getting crates of beer on to the team bus. And on the way home we’d stop for fish and chips.”
    Konch’s Kafe has been a big success for Konchesky since he retiredCredit: Rex Features

    Now a picture of health,  and even completing the London Marathon in three hours 51 minutes after hanging up his boots, Konchesky resists the temptation of chowing down on pies.
    But he often pops in and greets customers, who love to quiz him about his football career.
    Occasionally, he’ll chip in in the kitchen, making teas and coffees for his clientele too.
    FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

    WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
    The menu at Konch’s Kafe is vast, and offers everything you’ll need for a decent price.
    Cockney favourites – pie ‘n’ mash start at a reasonable £3.90, while if you want to add some jellied eels to the dish with a bit of liquor, you’ll pay £6.40.
    But if you don’t fancy that, there’s breakfast options, including the Mega Feast with two eggs, sausage, two bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, chips, beans or tomatoes for £6.25.
    For lunch, there are jacket potatoes and various sandwiches, and recent specials have included beef stew with dumpling and creamy potato for just £4.75, as well as a chicken curry with rice and naan for a fiver.
    However, it’s the pie and mash that’s getting customers through the door and keeping them happy.
    A boyhood West Ham fan, Konchesky fell in love with the Hammers and that East End delicacy thanks to his grandfather, who settled in England from Poland during World War II.
    The menu at Konch’s Kafe offers everything you’ll want
    A beef stew was recently on the special’s board at Konch’s Kafe

    GETTING SHIRTY
    And anyone who visits Konch’s Kafe will be taken by their surroundings – framed shirts from various opponents Konchesky has faced during his action-packed career.
    A West Ham No 3 shirt with his name on takes centre stage, there’s a signed sketch featuring his hero Julian Dicks, a signed England shirt, as well as a photo of tough defender taking on Teddy Sheringham.
    “I’ve always collected shirts: Henry, Vieira, Gazza, Ravanelli, Ronaldo, Scholes,” he said.
    “I’ve got an England shirt from John Barnes, who gave it to me when we were together at Charlton.
    “He signed it, ‘Remember me when you’re famous’. They’re all dirty. I’ve never washed any of them.”
    Clearly with his fingers in many pies, you’ll be thankful that Konchesky’s hands aren’t as dirty as his shirts when you pop in for your next pie fix.
    THE REVIEWS ARE IN
    You won’t be surprised to know that it’s scored five out of five on TripAdvisor’s site t he time of writing.
    Mandy R wrote: “Love this cafe not just because of the pie and mash but all the food is yummy and the staff are always helpful and a good laugh. They look after everyone, no ones ever alone at Konchs.”
    While Samuel A declared: “Very nice staff, very nice atmosphere with the pictures on the walls of ex west ham players and football history! The pies are a must! superb value!”
    And wendybrooks07 called Konch’s ‘best pie and mash in Brentwood’, adding: “Traditional Pie and Mash and liquor is just great from here – delicous and worth trying – my favourite.”
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
    On TripAdvisor Konch’s Kafe has scored 5 star reviews
    Jamie Redknapp and Mark Noble tuck into some grub at Konch’s KafeCredit: Rex Features
    Paul Konchesky’s love of pie and mash stemmed from his Polish grandfather who emigrated to the East End during World War II
    You won’t be disappointed with your meal at Konch’s Kafe
    Konchesky’s last Premier League club was Leicester City in 2015Credit: Phil Shephard-Lewis – The Sun
    Charlton fan manages to take out one of their players in celebrations of winning goal against Accrington Stanley More

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    Under-fire Newcastle boss Steve Bruce wrote three crime thriller books that became cult classics worth £200 on eBay

    UNCOMPROMISING centre half, Manchester United legend and hard-nosed manager are normally phrases used to best describe Steve Bruce.But the under-fire Newcastle United manager is also a canny and prolific writer, penning three crime thriller books published between 1999 and 2000.
    In 1999, Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce flirted with the idea of becoming a writerCredit: PA:Press Association
    Bruce was managing Huddersfield Town, when he wrote the epic trilogy Striker! Sweeper! and Defender!
    The books, which Bruce himself called “A laughing stock”, are semi-autobiographical – the lead character is called Steve Barnes.
    And the plots and the literature itself may be laughable too.
    However, somehow they’ve become cult classics that have fetched up to £200 on eBay and Amazon, if you can find the rarities that is.
    The first novel, originally costing £12, was the 127-page Striker!
    Written in the first person, it puts you straight into the action of Barnes, manager of the fictitious Leddersford Town – a small, historic club aiming for Premier League promotion.
    Manchester United legend Bruce made the decision after hanging up his boots in 1998Credit: Getty Images – Getty

    It opens with Barnes finding young Irish striker Pat Duffy stabbed to death in the dressing room.
    The front cover depicts this scene beautifully, except for the fact that Duffy looks like a giant super-imposed on a football pitch.
    Suspected of murder, Barnes has to clear his name – so he inexplicably decides to launch his own investigation, somehow while juggling a football career.
    He’s faced with Irish mobsters, and also becomes a target for a sniper in the stands while managing his side in a top-of-the-table clash against Fulham in the book’s finale, neatly wrapped in four pages.
    Steve Bruce’s first novel was Striker!, written 20 years ago
    Weirdly, Bruce loves mentioning facts about Barnes’ car all the way through the story, even when he’s on a discreet follow.
    “I drive a Jaguar XJ8, 3.2, the sports version,” he writes.
    “It’s a very nice motor; 3.2 litre AJ-V8 all alloy engine. Classic colour interior theme, fluted leather seats, contrast colour keyed facia, figured walnut veneer.
    “As good a motor as you can hope to drive.
    “But not a car you’d choose when trying to follow a Ford saloon in a discreet manner…my registration, license and all other statutory details are fully up to date.”
    In the same year, Bruce also published Sweeper!Credit: Paragon Press Publishing
    Later, he writes: “I locked the car with central locking. The XJ8 has a full security system with ultrasonic intrusion sensing, radio frequency remote control, and engine immobiliser.
    “All necessary: this is a desirable motor.”
    The thriller has become an unlikely classic on Amazon.
    One tongue-in-cheek reviewer wrote: “This is a book so bad it is good, dare I say great. It’s bursting out its bindings with moral truths.”
    Another said: “That Bruce has spent so much of his life on the football pitch and not behind his typewriter should be a tragedy for literature.”
    The follow-up was Sweeper! – a tale that takes us through a web of intrigue featuring Yugoslavian warlords, lesbian prostitutes, Nazi-hunting spies and more.
    Defender! was published by Steve Bruce in March 2000
    Again, the murder plot centres around Leddersford Town, who must be the unluckiest club in the football world.
    One Amazon reviewer wrote of Sweeper!: “One cannot do justice to how effective and gripping Bruce’s writing style is.
    “He is truly a modern day Arthur Conan Doyle. Wow!”
    Their beloved groundsman, Sam Milton is murdered, so Barnes (again) takes it upon himself to solve the crime.
    More bizarre set plays follow, including a moment where Barnes is kidnapped by British Secret Service agents who ask him to go undercover.
    He refuses, saying that his country never wanted him and that he didn’t get international caps so he wouldn’t be suitable for the role.
    Of course, Bruce himself is one of the most decorated players to never get an England cap.
    Bruce’s books were all semi-autobiographicalCredit: PA:Press Association
    Despite a career littered with honours, Bruce never won a cap for EnglandCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    Proving Barnes has still got it, he manages to take out a villain with a trusted slide tackle in Sweeper!
    The last book of the trilogy was Defender! again featuring Steve Barnes.
    Its only review on Amazon states: “Does for the English language what the Luftwaffe did to Coventry.”
    Derry-born writer Seamas O’Reilly, a self-confessed Bruce literary expert, heralded the series of books.
    He published a review of Striker! in 2015, and by the end of the year a copy was listed on eBay for £200.
    “I loved it. There was just so much mad stuff,” he told the BBC about reading Striker!
    “The book is filled with kidnappings, betrayal and suspense.
    “Near the finish, a sniper shoots a football out from under the foot of Steve Barnes as he’s standing in the technical area at the end of a game.”
    The trilogy of rare books have been known to fetch up to £200 on eBay and AmazonCredit: PA:Empics Sport
    In 1999, Bruce published three murder/mystery novelsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Seamas called Sweeper! the “Magnus opus” but Defender! was “disappointing” and “incident-free.”
    “There are so many strange decisions made in the writing of these books, such as the way the world is constructed,” he continued.
    “So, for instance, there’s fake names that stand in for real places, like Leddersford for Huddersfield and Mulcaster for Manchester.
    “But, he also talks about Manchester United and mentions Alex Ferguson.
    “It’s like reading a Batman comic where he takes a train from Gotham to New York.”

    But Bruce has admitted he won’t be returning to writing anytime soonCredit: Reuters
    By the way @DFletcherSport cant keep it going any longer…. the old man did write the books 📚 great sleeping tablet!!!— Alex Bruce (@AlexBruce84) October 22, 2016

    Bruce actually called the novels “A laughing stock” and is concentrating on management nowCredit: Getty – Contributor
    At first, Bruce’s son Alex denied that his father had written them.
    However, he made a dramatic confession on Twitter later to BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher.
    And back in 2016, when managing Aston Villa, Bruce revealed the books were absolutely genuine.
    “Have you read them?” he replied when asked by Sky Sports if there were anymore in the pipeline.
    “Go and read them and you’ll understand why.”
    Furious Steve Bruce on hunt for ‘treasonous’ Newcastle dressing room mole after explosive Matt Ritchie bust-up leaked More

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    Liverpool legend Daniel Agger became a tattoo artist and invested in sewers, after his career ended prematurely

    DANIEL AGGER’S retirement is much like his playing career – mixing dirty work and artistry.
    Following his premature retirement in 2016, at the age of 31, the former Liverpool hard-man decided to put money into his passion and necessity: tattoos and poop.

    Former Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is a qualified tattoo artist

    The Danish defender trained to be a tattoo artist and is now part of one of the biggest parlours across the world, called Tattoodo.
    But for Agger that was not it, as he had more money to invest in s***.
    Now 36, Agger launched a company in 2013 called KloAgger, putting £450,000 into a company that manages sewage systems in Denmark.
    So how did they come up with the name? KloAgger translates to ‘Agger toilet’.

    Danish defender Agger has also invested in a sewage companyCredit: Kloagger

    He runs it alongside his brother Marco and a friendCredit: Kloagger

    The name KloAgger translates directly to ‘Toilet Agger’Credit: Kloagger

    Agger’s sewage company is only based in his homeland of DenmarkCredit: Kloagger

    Agger leaves the daily running of the company to his brotherCredit: Kloagger
    Agger is regularly involved with the firm but his younger brother Marco and their friend Rune Rasmussen oversee it day-to-day.
    Inked-up Agger is more interested in the tats.
    He started and finished his career at Danish club Brondby, and it was as a 15-year-old youth player that he got his first work done.
    “I was about 15 and on a school trip to Paris,” Agger said in an interview on Tattoodo’s website.

    The 35-year-old is more into his tattoosCredit: Twitter @danielagger

    Agger got his first tattoo while a 15-year-old boy on a school tripCredit: Action Images

    The former Liverpool centre-back has a vikings graveyard across his backCredit: Getty – Contributor

    Agger signed for Liverpool in 2006, brought in by Rafael BenitezCredit: AFP – Getty

    He won the Community Shield and League Cup during his 12 years at the clubCredit: PA:Press Association
    “It wasn’t something I’d thought about before. Me and a friend went into the shop and said that’s what we’re going to have and we got it. I still have it today.”
    But it’s been added to dramatically, with almost every inch of his body containing a tattoo.
    There’s the viking graveyard across his back, the love hearts on his calves, Latin proverbs all over his body and the names of his family members etched in.
    “I see it as one piece,” Agger, a qualified tattooist, said. “When I speak to people I talk about my tattoo as one piece but obviously every tattoo has a story, some better than others.”

    Agger sees his tattoos as just one big art workCredit: Instagram @danielagger22

    The Dane is a qualified tattoo artist and invested in a big parlour called TattoodoCredit: Instagram @danielagger22

    Agger left Liverpool for Brondby in 2014Credit: PA:Empics Sport
    One of the more recent is the ‘YNWA’ stamped onto his knuckles – the well-known Liverpool acronym for Anfield’s anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.
    “Timing was quite good,” Agger said. “[There were] a lot of rumours sending me to another club for a lot of money but I knew I was staying.
    “Somehow I wanted to show that to the footballing world and this was a way I wanted to show it.”
    Agger did eventually leave Liverpool in 2014 and spent two years at Brondby before ending his career earlier than expected.
    Back problems throughout his career saw Agger relying on painkillers to see him through, but he believes they were his downfall.

    Agger got YNWA printed onto his knuckles during speculation over his future at LiverpoolCredit: Instagram @danielagger22

    Agger wanted to show that he did not plan to leave Anfield

    He was part of a strong Liverpool side alongside Steven GerrardCredit: Instagram @danielagger22

    Agger retired in 2016 at the age of 31 which he believes was due to painkillersCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

    “I have taken too many anti-inflammatories in my career,” he told Jyllands-Posten.
    “I know that full well, and it sucks, but I did stop it [in the end]. I am not gaining anything personally from saying this but I can only hope that other athletes do.
    “It could be that others take a pill or two less.”

    Agger: England have a strong squad More

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    Liverpool hero Daniel Agger invested in tattoos and sewers when painkillers ended his career prematurely

    DANIEL AGGER’S retirement is much like his playing career – mixing dirty work and artistry.
    Following his premature retirement in 2016, at the age of 31, the former Liverpool hard-man decided to put money into his passion and necessity: tattoos and poop.

    Former Liverpool defender Daniel Agger is a qualified tattoo artist

    The Danish defender trained to be a tattoo artist and is now part of one of the biggest parlours across the world, called Tattoodo.
    But for Agger that was not it, as he had more money to invest in s***.
    Now 35, Agger launched a company in 2013 called KloAgger, putting £450,000 into a company that manages sewage systems in Denmark.
    So how did they come up with the name? KloAgger translates to ‘Agger toilet’.

    Danish defender Agger has also invested in a sewage companyCredit: Kloagger

    He runs it alongside his brother Marco and a friendCredit: Kloagger

    The name KloAgger translates directly to ‘Toilet Agger’Credit: Kloagger

    Agger’s sewage company is only based in his homeland of DenmarkCredit: Kloagger

    Agger leaves the daily running of the company to his brotherCredit: Kloagger
    Agger is regularly involved with the firm but his younger brother Marco and their friend Rune Rasmussen oversee it day-to-day.
    Inked-up Agger is more interested in the tats.
    He started and finished his career at Danish club Brondby, and it was as a 15-year-old youth player that he got his first work done.
    “I was about 15 and on a school trip to Paris,” Agger said in an interview on Tattoodo’s website.

    The 35-year-old is more into his tattoosCredit: Twitter @danielagger

    Agger got his first tattoo while a 15-year-old boy on a school tripCredit: Action Images

    The former Liverpool centre-back has a vikings graveyard across his backCredit: Getty – Contributor

    Agger signed for Liverpool in 2006, brought in by Rafael BenitezCredit: AFP – Getty

    He won the Community Shield and League Cup during his 12 years at the clubCredit: PA:Press Association
    “It wasn’t something I’d thought about before. Me and a friend went into the shop and said that’s what we’re going to have and we got it. I still have it today.”
    But it’s been added to dramatically, with almost every inch of his body containing a tattoo.
    There’s the viking graveyard across his back, the love hearts on his calves, Latin proverbs all over his body and the names of his family members etched in.
    “I see it as one piece,” Agger, a qualified tattooist, said. “When I speak to people I talk about my tattoo as one piece but obviously every tattoo has a story, some better than others.”

    Agger sees his tattoos as just one big art workCredit: Instagram @danielagger22

    The Dane is a qualified tattoo artist and invested in a big parlour called TattoodoCredit: Instagram @danielagger22

    Agger left Liverpool for Brondby in 2014Credit: PA:Empics Sport
    One of the more recent is the ‘YNWA’ stamped onto his knuckles – the well-known Liverpool acronym for Anfield’s anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.
    “Timing was quite good,” Agger said. “[There were] a lot of rumours sending me to another club for a lot of money but I knew I was staying.
    “Somehow I wanted to show that to the footballing world and this was a way I wanted to show it.”
    Agger did eventually leave Liverpool in 2014 and spent two years at Brondby before ending his career earlier than expected.
    Back problems throughout his career saw Agger relying on painkillers to see him through, but he believes they were his downfall.

    Agger got YNWA printed onto his knuckles during speculation over his future at LiverpoolCredit: Instagram @danielagger22

    Agger wanted to show that he did not plan to leave Anfield

    He was part of a strong Liverpool side alongside Steven GerrardCredit: Instagram @danielagger22

    Agger retired in 2016 at the age of 31 which he believes was due to painkillersCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

    “I have taken too many anti-inflammatories in my career,” he told Jyllands-Posten.
    “I know that full well, and it sucks, but I did stop it [in the end]. I am not gaining anything personally from saying this but I can only hope that other athletes do.
    “It could be that others take a pill or two less.”

    Agger: England have a strong squad More

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    Ex-Middlesbrough star Richard Kell became a Jet2 pilot after two broken legs wrecked his dream of becoming a footballer

    WHO needs a football career? When Richard Kell, now 40, decided to hang up his boots at 27 after suffering two broken legs he already had a back-up plan. Richard Kell became a pilot after retiring from football The former Middlesbrough trainee began learned how to fly a plane during an injury lay-off at Scunthorpe […] More