Planning for a career after football is always wise, but that usually comes in the form of punditry or coaching. Gary Neville famously did one far more successfully than the other, whilst Mikel Arteta is now one of the best managers in the world.
Alfie Whiteman has done neither after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, however.
The 26-year-old has retired from football to pursue an entirely different dream. The goalkeeper was part of Ange Postecoglou’s Europa League-winning squad just last season, providing backup for Guglielmo Vicario and Antonin Kinsky, but failed to get a single minute on the pitch.
In fact, the goalkeeper’s last senior appearance came on loan at Swedish side Degerfors IF in the 2021/22 campaign. Playing 21 games in the Allsvenskan, Whiteman kept just two clean sheets and conceded 40 goals in a difficult spell.
Life as a goalkeeper and as a professional footballer, Whiteman admitted, was not the dream that he had imagined. The goalkeeper, who left Spurs as a free agent in the summer, recently told The Athletic: “I signed for Spurs at 10 years old. Then I left school at 16 and went straight into this full-time life of football.
“When I was around 17 or 18, living in digs, I just had this feeling inside of, ‘Is this it?’ Getting on the mini bus, going to training, doing the Sports Science BTEC (he also did an A Level in Economics) and going home to play video games. I realised, ‘Oh, I’m not happy here’ from quite a young age.
“The stereotype of a footballer is generally quite true. It’s the golf, washbag culture. I was that young footballer. I wanted the Gucci washbag and I drove the Mercedes. You all just become a reflection of each other. You’re a product of your environment. It’s the way football is in this country; it’s so shut off from anything else. You go to training and then you go home, that’s it.”
Unfulfilled and released from his boyhood club, Whiteman has since gone in pursuit of happiness in the film industry.
Whiteman swaps the football for the camera in stunning change
After earning £1.5m in wages at Spurs, Whiteman has retired from football at 26 years old to become a film director and photographer. The former goalkeeper now works for Somesuch – an award-winning production company – where he plans to take a much more fulfilling career path.
It’s been a long time coming too. During his time sitting on the Spurs bench, Whiteman was working as a runner for directors, photographers and producers in preparation for his dream role. Although the expectancy is for footballers to retire in their 30s, he didn’t wait until then to make the jump.
“It got to this point where I’d rather end this on my terms than go to a club that I just didn’t want to go to. When I was younger, I always said I didn’t want to play in the lower leagues; it was always about the highest level.
“Otherwise, I’d rather do something else. So I just took this step into the unknown, and I was like, ‘Oh, holy s***. I’m actually doing it.’ Anything can happen. I’m in complete control of my life, and it’s really exciting and really scary.” (Whiteman told The Athletic)
Although many goalkeepers can boast careers at the highest level, you’ll struggle to find a shot-stopper who’s got his hands on a European trophy and an Oscar, but that’s the dream for Whiteman.
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