In their pomp, they played in front of packed stadiums and an adoring crowd, earning thousands of pounds a week.
But rather than make the obvious move into coaching or punditry, these former footballers opted to pursue obscure jobs after hanging up their boots.
From a pastor to a fisherman and from a detective to an actor, here MailOnline looks at those footballers in their unusual second professions.
Kevin Francis
Now: Gang squad police in Canada
A powerful striker and a towering presence on the field, Kevin Francis made more than 300 appearances in the Football League, netting 115 goals.
He enjoyed a prolific spell at Stockport County in the early 90s before joining Birmingham City and Oxford United, where he famously conceded a late penalty in an FA Cup tie with Chelsea that was netted by Frank Leboeuf (see below).
After ending his career with non-league Studley, the 6ft 7in Saint Kitts & Nevis international initially went out to Canada after being badgered by a friend to join him for a trucking job.
He told MailOnline: 'I was driving for about two and a half years. It was fantastic in the summer as I was seeing the length and breadth of Canada, but in winter it was a little bit scary as it was cold, dark and the transport infrastructure isn't as good as it is in the UK.
'I was pulling two trailers and we would normally work for four days on and then three days off, but sometimes it was for 10 days at a time.
'As I was doing that another friend I went to school with, who had been with the West Midlands Police, moved out to Canada. He first worked in Edmonton, before coming to Calgary.
'He always used to say it was the best job in the world but I was like 'I've already done that!' But he kept telling me to apply so eventually I just decided to do it. Ten years later and I'm still there.'
Francis is now in the Gang Suppression Team in Calgary - which he has been with for the last four and half years - and he admitted it involved some 'pretty heavy s***'.
He said: 'It is made up of two teams of nine and we do a one-hour workout before shifts every day, so it has that team element that I had as a footballer and that was definitely something that appealed to me, as these guys have got my back.
'Ninety per cent of what we do is dealing with gang members. Everyone knows who we are, so it's face to face and that can be quite scary. We get a little bit of history from the dispatch and so we know someone might be in a bar or club or carrying firearms, or have bodies in a van, so we have the unfortunate job of knowing what we are dealing with.'
Recalling one of his scariest moments, he revealed: 'One year ago we were called to an incident at a downtown night club in Calgary. When we got there we heard the crack off four or five rounds of gunfire. We went across the road and we saw the gunman round the front with the bouncer, so we cornered him off and took his weapon off him and then went into the club where everyone was panicking and saying there had been a shooter inside. You can't switch off.'
He added: 'It's definitely an adrenaline rush but it's a different sort of rush from being a footballer. Every day is different and what you see on TV isn't too far from the truth.'
He joked: 'But I haven't done my Achilles or my ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament) while doing this job!'
One of Francis' two daughters, Stacey, represented England in the Commonwealth Games at netball.
She currently plays professionally for West Coast Fever in Perth.
Phil Mulryne
Now: Training to be a priest
Former Manchester United player Phil Mulryne once rubbed shoulders with the likes of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs – but he has since swapped his strip for a cassock.
The 38-year-old, who represented Northern Ireland 27 times, earned up to £500,000-a-year during his playing heyday at Norwich City and dated glamour model Nicola Chapman, who appeared on Real Footballer's Wives 2005.
In the same year, Mulryne famously went on an all-night bender with ex-Manchester City player Jeff Whitley during Northern Ireland's World Cup qualification matches and was sent home in disgrace by manager Lawrie Sanchez.
After ill-fated spells at Cardiff City and Leyton Orient, he decided against a career in coaching in favour of a more spiritual existence.
Mulryne enrolled at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome in 2009, the first step on his journey to becoming a priest after ending his career at non-league King's Lynn.
He then spent two years studying philosophy in Rome, before undertaking a four-year theology degree in Belfast.
In October this year, he was ordained by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, and is now a member of the Dominican Order.
A month earlier the ex-midfielder had been declared bankrupt at Belfast's High Court after investing heavily in a film industry tax scheme.
Jody Craddock
Now: Artist
A natural leader on the field, many would have expected no-thrills defender Jody Craddock to become a coach after calling time on his career at Wolves.
Much to his former teammates' surprise he decided against doing so and is now earning a living as a professional artist.
His work – a combination of his portraiture and experimental style – has appeared at galleries and exhibitions and he has been commissioned to produce pieces for fellow professionals such as former England captain John Terry.
Craddock, who made a total of 581 senior appearances in a 22-year career, told MailOnline: 'I love art and I love painting. It's hard work as I'm not established or a big name in the art would but I'm plugging away.
'When it's freezing cold outside I remember how I used to be running around in my shorts…but now I'm nice and warm in my studio!
'Art has always been a hobby of mine. When I wasn't playing football I was either playing golf or painting and drawing. I started by copying out a few superhero pictures. Over the years the more I did, the better I got.'
His old team mates were initially sceptical about his new-found profession.
'They were like 'oh yeah what's this s*** going to be like?' But they have been quietly impressed', he revealed.
'My aim is to be recognised as an artist who used to be pretty good at football rather than an ex-footballer who likes to paint.'
Lee Bowyer
Now: Fisherman
The heartbeat of the dazzling Leeds United side that reached the semi-final of the Champions league in 2001, former England international Lee Bowyer opened a carp fishing lake in France following his retirement from football.
The 39-year-old, who also played for his boyhood club West Ham, as well as Newcastle United, said: 'I got the bug as a kid, catching roach in my local canal. Now I could be a professional I think.'
He bought the lake, near a village called Orconte, in north-eastern France, and named it Etang de Bows which translates as Bows' Lake – his nickname.
In a previous interview with Sportsmail, the goal-scoring midfielder said: 'You either love or hate fishing. I love it – I used it as a getaway as a player. It allowed me to switch off because I was a nightmare otherwise.'
Bowyer scored 99 goals during his successful playing career but he also attracted headlines for his misdemeanours off the field.
Along with former Leeds team mate Jonathan Woodgate, he was acquitted of GBH in relation to an incident near a Leeds nightclub in January 2000, in which an Asian student suffered severe injuries.
He was also fined £30,000 for fighting Newcastle team-mate Kieron Dyer on the pitch during a game in 2005.
Last month he revealed his desire to return to football and was linked with the managerial position at his first club, Charlton Athletic.
