Dual careers for footballers were a more common occurrence in the sepia-tinged days of pre-Premier League football, the current manager of Nottingham Forest being an archetype of the working footballer.
Pearce failed a trial at QPR and turned down an offer from Hull City to play for his local non-professional club while training and practising as an electrician. He also worked as a plumber on occasion to pay his bills.
Even later, while a professional at Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, he was so unsure of his future in professional football that he advertised his services as an electrician in Forest’s matchday programme. As fate would have it though, Pearce went on to play at Nottingham Forest for 12 years, outstaying Clough and becoming club captain for a long period.
Now a manager, Pearce has said that his experiences with the tool-box helped keep him grounded and has called the work ethics of current youngsters deplorable. "I am very thankful that I took that route. Prior to being an electrician, I worked in a warehouse for a year, lifting boxes. You do get a real grasp of what life is all about, when you have done that.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment