Famous Faces That Nearly Had a Career in Football

These famous faces all dabbled with a career in football, but nowadays you’ll recognise them for their skills off the pitch.
Gordon Ramsay
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay trained with Rangers FC but a knee injury prevented him from exploring the career further and he never made it to the official team.
Rod Stewart
This world famous singer started playing football when he was a young boy, where he played as central defender for his school in Middlesex. After he left school he was offered an apprenticeship at Brentford Football Club, which he soon after quit to become the legendary singer we know today.
Olly Murs
British singer Olly Murs was a striker for his school’s football team in Essex, he then went on to play in the lower league for Witham Town before suffering from an injury. This led him to pursue his music career, auditioning for the X-Factor in 2008.
Sam Trickett
Ranked number 1 in the England all-time money list and in the top 10 live tournament earners of all time, it’s fair to say that Sam has made a name for himself in professional poker. But before a career in cards, the partypoker ambassador played for Nottingham Forrest and was even looked at by Sheffield United and Huffnall Town. His professional football career was cut short when he snapped his cruciate ligaments and turned his attention to the decks instead.
Nick Byrne
Nick Byrne is best known as one fifth of Irish boy band Westlife, but before this he was known for his skills on the pitch. In 1995 Leeds United took him on as a goalkeeper and he represented the under 15, 16 and18 teams for the Republic of Ireland, but in 1999 he left to focus on his music career. He has since appeared in Soccer Aid to raise money for the charity UNICEF.
Mark Wright
The Only Way Is Essex star is a radio presenter and TV personality, but something you might not have known about him is that he was a semi-pro footballer. He used to play for Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Arsenal, but doesn’t seem to have the time to play anymore given his busy schedule.
Sean Connery
Before his acting career took off, Sean Connery was offered a trial by East Fife in Scotland and was scouted by Manchester United manager Matt Busby who offered him a £25 a week contract. Connery turned the contract down however, as his heart was firmly set on acting.