Danny Simpson taking action to help elite stars adjust to 'real world' after sport

But when you retire, you lose it all. Routine gone, teammates gone, sport gone…life over.

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This is the reality many elite athletes face and Premier League title winner Danny Simpson is beginning to realise this could be his future.

Simpson has not played a game since January 2022 and the 36-year-old is already starting to see what life may be like once he has retired.

Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Leicester City defender said: "For elite athletes, I think you go through so many highs and you're in such a routine.

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"So when it comes to an end and it stops, whether it's through injury or getting older and retiring, it's hard to replace that.

"Being around the squad, having the routine, the highs of winning and performing, going out in front of thousands of fans and then knowing what to do next."

He continued: "It's like being in the real world again. It's a thing you can laugh about but you don't know how to deal with it or what to do. I haven't got a GP for example.

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"There's all these little things that sometimes in football, as athletes you're so consumed, you want to win, it's your career, your one chance but you're actually in a bubble that can pop so suddenly. You then realise what real life is.

"That's something I'm going through and have been going through."

Simpson is currently training with Macclesfield Town and has not yet officially retired, but admitted the thought of hanging up his boots is something that scares him.

"I haven't [retired yet]! I'm still struggling to let it go!", he said.

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"You never know. I keep playing at Macclesfield because you just never know. But there comes a point where you have to let it go and you have to retire.

"It is difficult and, for me, I have missed football and I've missed being around the lads but it comes to a point where you will have to retire.

"I think it's a big thing for someone to actually retire and it scares me to retire. I know that day has to come."

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However, Simpson is now using that fear and his experience of time away from the pitch to help raise awareness of retiring athletes' mental health.

The defender has joined up with fellow title winner and former Leicester captain Wes Morgan to become part of Third EYE Sports Consultancy.

Third EYE, which is spear-headed by former Watford player and England coach Gifton Noel-Williams, is a mental health initiative for retiring/retired athletes to provide work opportunities for those who are planning for life after sport.

The consultancy aims to keep these athletes actively involved in the sport they love and this in turn helps to prevent any mental health issues involved in post-career life.

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A FIFPRO study has revealed that 38 per cent of players have experienced symptoms of depression and have received a 'distinct lack of support' in the industry.

And ThirdEYE consultancy director Noel-Williams commented on the importance of making sure athletes have something in place to prevent any issues away from sport.

He said: "Sadly mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are commonplace amongst elite athletes and qualified sports coaches, most commonly when they are between clubs, and/or when their career ends due to injury or retirement.

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"When establishing ThirdEYE it was extremely important for us to offer a healthy distraction, a side-hustle opportunity which would allow our consultants to remain active within the sport that they love.

"It also allows them to build relationships through the mentoring of other sports clubs and aspiring elite athletes which could lead to more full-time work opportunities, countering the mental health issues associated with leaving the game.

"Through sharing their top-level knowledge, experience and expertise to help develop the performance of others, ThirdEYE provides elite athletes and qualified sports coaches with an opportunity to counter the detrimental effects on mental health associated with leaving a club or retiring from the game."

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Simpson has joined the consultancy to help spread the word about athletes' mental health struggles. He said: "It was something I was really keen on getting involved with and helping.

"It [awareness of player mental health] is getting better but we can always do more for ourselves and for other people.

"The more we talk about it, the more we highlight it and the more things we try to create to help those athletes the better. Especially for people coming out of that environment."

With mental health awareness growing and players such as Simpson opening up about the real-life struggles of coming to the end of a career, athletes will begin to feel less intimidated by retirement.

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And becoming part of an initiative that helps to provide these athletes with a possible path into a new career will hugely benefit those in need of help.