Footballers have been known to change careers after retirement but a former Premier League player is responsible for one of the most surprise switch-ups after hanging up his boots.
Richard Kell was a promising midfielder with Middlesbrough, coming through the ranks but failing to make a first-team appearance for the Riverside outfit.
Having left in 2001, he proceeded to play 100 times in the Football League for the likes of Torquay United, Scunthorpe United, Barnsley and Lincoln City.
He spent the majority of his career playing for Scunthorpe but it was there where he suffered a broken leg which left manager Brian Laws “gutted”.
The injury occured in a 4-0 League Two win over Bristol Rovers and was the first of two leg breaks Kell would suffer.
Eventually, he was forced into premature retirement at the age of 27 but already had a plan in place.
While on a month to month contract with Scunthorpe, he began chatting with a pilot in the airport ahead of a pre-season tour to Ireland and the career change piqued his interest.
“On my return, I went to my nearest airport to make my initial enquiries,” he explained, as per The Sun.
“I had completed about 10-15 hours training, however my fitness returned, I signed a new contract and my pilots training was put on the ‘back burner’ for a time.
“Football gave me interpersonal skills. Being confined within the ‘tin box’ of a cockpit at 35,000 feet means that I must be appreciative of my co-pilots and other crew, who I have to interact with. Finally, I was a fairly technical player so my overall touch and hand/ eye coordination is a great attribute to have as a pilot, helping me instinctively know when to apply power and rudder.”
He received compensation money from the PFA when he had to call it a day, as well as an educational grant which he used wisely towards his new career and receive a commercial pilot’s license – going on to work for Jet2 at Leeds Bradford Airport.
Richard Kell played against Chelsea for Scunthorpe. Image: Getty
“My chosen career was every bit as hard to get into as football and can be equally as competitive,” he added.
“However, if I had failed to gain my commercial pilot license I could still have gone and done something more mainstream and familiar.
“I didn’t want any niggling doubts or ‘what ifs’ later in life.
“Rather like being a footballer I always want to do the job to the best of my ability.
“I still sometimes think about my performance on the way home and how I can do my job better the next time.”
