When professional footballers eventually retire from the sport, their attention turns to what comes next.
For many, that will involve moving into business, coaching or punditry as a way of staying in the sport in some capacity.
Others, though, can take a completely different route.
One popular avenue for footballers – either retired or active, in fact – is to take part in poker.
For the very best poker players in the world, the potential financial rewards are eye-watering. The 2020 World Series of Poker Online had a total prize pool of $27,559,500 – setting a Guinness World Record in the process.
Let’s take a look at five footballers who have tried their hand at poker:
Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham retired from professional football in 2008 at the age of 42 after a 25-year professional career.
He scored over 350 goals at club level, made 51 appearances for England and won several major trophies, including the Champions League in 1999 with Manchester United.
Following retirement, he became a player on the world poker scene.
According to poker database The Hendon Mob, Sheringham has won over $300,000 playing live poker and even won $118,346 at a single event.
Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti spent his entire professional career at Roma, becoming a club legend in the process.
He scored 250 league goals, made nearly 800 appearances in all competitions and won the 2006 World Cup with Italy.
Totti is also known to be a savvy poker player. In 2010, whilst still featuring regularly for Roma, he became an Ambassador for partypoker Italy.
Andriy Shevchenko
Current Ukraine manager Andriy Shevchenko had an illustrious footballing career which saw him turn out for the likes of AC Milan and Chelsea.
He won the Ballon d’Or in 2004, and helped Milan to win the Champions League in 2003 – scoring the winning penalty in the shootout. Fast-forward to present day, and Shevchenko has become a familiar face on the poker circuit.
Tomas Brolin
Although probably more famous to England fans for the wonder goal that defeated Graham Taylor’s side at Euro 1992, Sweden and Leeds midfielder Tomas Brolin became a successful poker player after retirement.
He competed at the 2007 World Series of Poker and, according to The Hendon Mob database, has earned over $78,000 in total live earnings.
He earned $60,129 in a single event – the 2008 EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final.
Tony Cascarino
Former Chelsea striker and current talkSPORT presenter Tony Cascarino has earned a fair amount of revenue as a poker player since his retirement from football.
He has total live earnings of an estimated $595,809, bagging an eye-watering $283,412 when he won the GUKPT London Grand Final in November 2008.
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