Former Hull City striker Ben Burgess has revealed that he has ambitions to become a headteacher after making the switch to education following his retirement in 2012.
The striker, who scored the first ever hat-trick at the KC Stadium, quit the sport just weeks after penning a two-year contract with Tranmere Rovers after battling a long-standing knee problem.
He told BBC Sport: "I wasn't a wild footballer with flashy clothes and cars. I had invested well and, as my wife is a self-employed graphic designer, I was in a position to take a year out without it affecting our family finances too much. There's no doubt that my current wage is only a fraction of previous salaries. But I'm supporting my family, I've created a whole new career and there is a clear path of progression that will hopefully see my salary increase.
"Later that year I had to start going for interviews. Sat in a waiting room, amongst nervous 22-year-olds, a decade their senior, all competing for the same job. I was able to put things into perspective. I'd played at Wembley in front of 80,000 people, I'd taken penalties live on TV, I'd been verbally abused by thousands of fans, some were my own,, so why should I be nervous about sitting in front of a panel of five people or teaching in front of a class of 35 eight-year-olds? I was successful in the first interview and have just completed my first year as a teacher.
"Nothing quite compares to scoring a goal, but watching a child finally grasp what you've spent hours teaching them, or to watch a boy who hates reading pick up a book and talk passionately about it, comes pretty close. In football I was ambitious and determined to be the best player I could. In teaching I have the same ambitions. I want to climb the ladder to be a headmaster."
Burgess also had spells with Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool and Notts County during his career.
Sian Cowper
