Logan’s plumb job shows players need plan after football

It’s not going to be a habit but for once I’ll make an exception and talk about another club’s player.

I was over the moon to hear Aberdeen’s Shay Logan talk this week about planning his new career as a plumber.

His decision to take himself out of the comfort zone and learn a different trade was so honest and refreshing.

Believe me, professional football is a million miles away from working with sinks and bathrooms and it takes a huge set for cojones for him to do that.

As always, there will be some who believe this is the case of a big-time Charl ie doing a different job as a bit of a gimmick.

My opinion is that he’s putting himself ahead of the game by learning a new trade.

If I had to guess, there will be loads of boys in my Livingston dressing room who have time- served trades behind them.

Most of them have played par t- t ime football and needed to have other forms of employment.

I couldn’t tell you who has done what but I do know that midfielder Scott Pittman was digging roads before signing for us.

Scott played junior football at Bo’ness United so for all of our players it hasn’t always been about the fast cars and glamour.

He’s a time-served labourer and made the grade the hard way.

Shay’s honesty has highlighted a fact about Scottish football and it’s that unless you stay in the game when you retire as a player then you need to get a proper job outside the sport.

You just aren’t going to make enough money to set yourself up for retirement and Shay has put that myth to bed with his revelation.

I tell my players and others that the earlier they can get prepared for the end of their careers the better.

My advice is to get your coaching badges as soon as you can and even though I managed to get mine early, I still feel I should have started that particular ball rolling earlier.

Getting some coaching qualifications or any other form of education or trade behind you should be a priority.

Waiting until you retire or are out of the game is too late.

There’s no excuse, especially during the summer when there are weeks and weeks where footbal lers are sitting about doing nothing. I know players from my time in the top- f light down south who are set up for life, they’ve earned so wel l during their careers that they don’t need to work.

But they are few and far between.

Let’s put it this way, I know far more players who still need to work than do not.

There’s a perception about professional football and it’s one which leads some to believe we all earn huge amounts of money and have these expensive lifestyles but it’s a myth for the majority.

It’s only the very few and the top of the tree who can retire totally after playing.

There’s also a perception that we need to have the best houses, the nicest cars and even in the dressing room you need to keep up with the Joneses.

In football, material things shouldn’t matter. So well done Shay for pointing out that deep down we are all working men and women and there are very few millionaires among us.