‘You’ve got to think of planning a new career’

PLANNING for life beyond football has never felt so necessary for a whole generation of players who ply their trades in Scotland’s lower leagues.

Lockdown has delivered time for thinking as well as deep uncertainties.

Nat Wedderburn is no different to many of his colleagues. A 28-year-old midfielder who numbers Cowdenbeath, Inverness, Raith Rovers and Dunfermline among his former clubs, his one-year full-time contract with Airdrieonians expires at the end of this month.

News on whether the government’s furlough scheme could offer a little additional breathing space is expected soon. Even so, the shape of the future beyond then will likely remain unknown.

Wedderburn clearly hopes that football resumes as soon as possible and can provide a valuable source of income. But he admits being stunned by the news — revealed in Sportsmail this week — that Leagues One and Two could ultimately be mothballed until January if a viable solution to emerging from the coronavirus crisis cannot be found.

‘My first thought was just: “Surely not. How could that be possible?”’ he said. ‘But it’s just the unknowns about this virus and how much clubs are struggling with money. Hopefully, it’s not the case but we’ll all just have to wait and see.

‘It would have a massive impact. Of course it would. My focus is still very much on football because it is something I have done from a very young age.

‘But with all the uncertainty about what is going on, you do have to think about other things for the future.

‘Being in lockdown has made people think about starting to prepare for life outside of football. To be fair, it has been something on my mind for the last couple of years. The break has just made me get moving with it more.

‘I’ve been looking at things on the Open University. Courses to do with health and coaching. It would probably be to keep it in a sports area.

‘I have done a bit of coaching with kids in the last year or two and that is something which I am interested in.’

Wedderburn (below) could be considered ahead of the game in one respect. In conjunction with his wife, Emily, he already has a business — O-M-Tea.co.uk — that sells various types of loose-leaf teas online.

‘It’s been going for the past year or so,’ he added.

‘It was actually something I came up with, but my wife is really involved with it on the social media side of things.

‘We both come up with ideas and look at the benefits of the teas and so on. It is kind of inter-linked to football but it’s obviously something different.

‘It started because we had been thinking about my future and what to do. I knew that a lot of South American footballers had spoken about drinking Yerba Mate tea.

‘We looked into the benefits of that and then expanded it with lots of different teas and other things. It is going okay. Obviously, a lot of people have been in the house and on the internet recently.’ The couple have a young family, which naturally amplifies worries about what lies ahead. Wedderburn, though, feels more for players just starting out in professional football and hoping to use the lower leagues as a platform for their talent. ‘One hundred per cent,’ said the England youth international, who began his career at Stoke City. ‘I think it is tougher for the younger guys who are trying to come into the game. ‘I have thought myself about what it would be like if this was happening ten years ago when I was being sent out on loan in the lower leagues to help my development. ‘It’s tough. Nobody knows what’s next. You hear about playing behind closed doors but I don’t know whether the finances make that possible. ‘Am I optimistic? I don’t know. It’s a tough one. You can’t really see the light at the end of the tunnel right now, but we just have to wait and see what happens and try and stay positive. ‘For players in my situation, it is out of our control, really.’