Careers of ex-footballers

[Royal Lady]

Jerry Williams is a Financial Adviser.

[Maguire]

Ex-Watford
Nigel Callaghan A skilful - and skinny - England Under-21 right-winger who popped up on a TV documentary in the late 90s as a DJ in a Greek nightclub and claimed he could still cut it in the Premiership if he fancied it. The size of his belly suggested otherwise. Still a DJ

Bounced for a reason - Callaghan is currently undergoing chemo for metastatic cancer

I actually remember the documentary quite clearly for some reason. It was one of those Club Reps type things I must have watched when I was drunk, hoping to see tits. Callaghan was fat but actually said "i see Lee Dixon playing now and think "i used to give him a tough game back in my day"..of course Lee Dixon would probably watch this and say "yeah right""

[FORSTERS_RIGHT_FOOT]

Ex Reading and York City's Neville Stamp is a bricklayer.

Jimmy Glass (greatest last minute goal ever) runs a taxi business.

[cmonurz]

Teddy Sheringham came 14th in last year's World Series of Poker Europe.

[Focher]

Damon Tennant - Sewing machine engineer

[Magnus]

Ex Reading and York City's Neville Stamp is a bricklayer.

I was at school with him. Did I hear somewhere he was bringing a book out?

[3 veesinarow]

Although he is now retired altogether, Ray Wilson was an undertaker in Huddersfield for many years...

[Wax Jacket]

Ex Reading and York City's Neville Stamp is a bricklayer.

I was at school with him. Did I hear somewhere he was bringing a book out?

I saw him on the Oxford Rd recently

[cmonurz]

Mark Walters is head of languages at Aston Villa's academy, Torben Piechnik also works there, teaching science.

[No Fixed Abode]

What has Steven Gerrard done since he retired this year?

[handbags_harris]

Ray Ranson - Insurance and Sports Financier and now Coventry City Football Club Chairman.

[Skyline]

Michael Gilkes is an estate agent, with Mick Gooding as his manager IIRC.

[Focher]

Michael Gilkes is an estate agent, with Mick Gooding as his manager IIRC.

Gooding is but im utterly sure Gilkesy is not

[Skyline]

There was an article in the EP a couple of months back talking about the pair of them working in the same estate agency office.

Of course, it was in the EP, so no telling how true it was...

[Wax Jacket]

What has Steven Gerrard done since he retired this year?

underage birds

[Skyline]

Here ya go: http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2047511_exroyals_net_career_moves

Ex-Royals net career moves
By Paul Robins
March 20, 2009

Two former Royals legends are helping a Reading estate agent stay at the top of the property game.

Ex-joint manager Mick Gooding and fans’ favourite Michael Gilkes have swapped their tracksuits for sharpsuits to carve out careers in the housing market.

The pair both ply their trade for leading agency Carsons where they are scoring just as many deals as they did goals.

Former left wing ace Gilkes joined the firm back in November and is now a fully-qualified mortgage consultant working out of the offices in Friar Street.

He was recruited by his former boss Mick Gooding, the popular midfielder who went on to manage the club from 1994-96.

Mr Gooding is now responsible for the day-to-day running of the Mortimer, Tadley and Tilehurst branches.

Managing director Russell Mitten said: “I suppose it’s not everyday you have two local footballing heroes working for you but I have to say it has been a pleasure.

“They have taken the hard work ethic from their football careers and brought it into the workplace.

“Their enthusiasm and energy is second to none. They gave it their all on the pitch and they do the same at Carsons. They are two of the hardest working lads in the team.

“I think they have made a massive difference to the company. We haven’t really promoted the fact that they work for here up until now.

“But I think if the public knew it, especially as they were both so popular and loved by Reading fans, I think we would get a lot more people walking through the door.”

Gilkes, who spent nearly 13 years with the Royals and scored 52 goals, has proved to be a particularly classy signing.

“He is incredibly professional,” said Mr Mitten. “In fact you wouldn’t know it was the same guy giving mortgage advice as the one people used to watch on the football pitch.

“But it can be quite funny when people ring up to book an appointment. When they hear that they will be getting mortgage advice from Michael Gilkes, they tend to say: ‘Yeah but not THE Michael Gilkes.’”

The former Barbados international has also dispelled the myth that footballers aren’t a particularly intellectual bunch by scoring 95 per cent in his mortgage consultancy exams.

“I couldn’t have done that,” Mr Mitten said.

“It just shows how determined he is. Here is a professional footballer with few qualifications and he passed A-level equivalent exams with distinction in five weeks.”

Area manager Mr Gooding has also applied his management skills to the housing game since joining Carsons in 2004 following a spell in charge of Southend United.

Mr Mitten said: “With Mick it’s different. He isn’t quite as well known. People don’t recognise his face as much but they certainly know his voice.

“And since he took over as area manager the performance at the three branches has increased significantly.

“Both these two guys certainly want to work and their enthusiasm is plain to see.

“I think it’s quite a special situation. There is no way we would have two Reading footballers coming to work for us in 10 years time – it just wouldn’t happen.”

But Mr Mitten admitted there was another motivation for employing the services of two of the Royals finest exponents.

“It would be wrong if we didn’t make the most of their football skills as well,” he said.

“In fact we’ve got a match against another local estate agents coming up – I don’t think they realise we’ve got a couple of ringers in the side.”

So Gilksey is actually a Mortgage Advisor, not estate agent, but he is working for an estate agency (or was when that article was published last year)

[Focher]

i was right then