The U17 World Cup Winner Who Quit Football To Help Next Generation

It's not each time that a World Cup victor walks into a java shop successful cardinal Manchester.

Yet location is nary crowd, nary signing autographs aliases selfies pinch fans. Things person turned retired otherwise for Curtis Anderson.

Anderson, a erstwhile Manchester City goalkeeper who helped England triumph nan Under-17s Fifa World Cup successful 2017, is capable to sip his level achromatic successful comparative bid arsenic he explains why he gave up his dream and became a financial advisor instead.

Of nan 21 players who triumphed successful India 8 years ago, Anderson is nan only 1 who is nary longer playing shot astatine immoderate level.

Unlike astir successful his existent field, Anderson is utilizing his experiences successful nan crippled to thief young master footballers whose shoes he erstwhile stood in.

Anderson useful for an independent financial adviser, wherever he heads nan sports department.

Half of his clip is spent exclusively pinch athletes - chiefly footballers - helping them make informed financial decisions to maximise their net from a short career.

"You tin virtually alteration people's lives by taking money stresses away," Anderson tells BBC Sport.

"People don't understand elemental things astir finance truthful making things clearer for group and helping them keeps maine motivated.

"I want to thief arsenic galore group arsenic possible. I'm truthful passionate astir helping young shot players."

Not excessively agelong ago, nan 24-year-old was successful nan aforesaid position arsenic those he now helps. So really did he extremity up here?

On 28 October 2017, Anderson became a world champion.

Five months connected from spending England's European Under-17 Championship run connected nan bench, Anderson didn't miss a infinitesimal arsenic Steve Cooper's broadside reached nan last of nan U17 World Cup successful India.

England had a squad including early Premier League regulars Phil Foden - who was named subordinate of nan tourney - Morgan Gibbs-White, Conor Gallagher, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Marc Guehi, and produced a singular comeback to hit Spain 5-2 aft trailing 2-0.

"We were truthful relaxed and confident, cipher panicked," Anderson recalls.

"We pulled a extremity backmost past went into half-time reasoning 'we've sewage this'. There was nary 1 getting stressed aliases going crazy successful nan dressing room."

Anderson was connected apical of nan world but, by his ain admission, he became impatient.

Anderson sought a move distant successful hunt of much minutes, but was still astatine City erstwhile nan transportation model closed aft a indebtedness move to a Championship nine fell through.

With fewer options connected nan table, Anderson decided to subordinate American broadside Charlotte Independence of nan United Soccer League connected a imperishable ground successful March 2019.

It was a determination he came to regret - 3 months later, nan head who signed Anderson was sacked, and he recovered himself retired of favour.

"I look backmost and think, astatine 18, what was I successful a unreserved for?" says Anderson.

"I was successful specified a hopeless unreserved to do everything. I came disconnected nan backmost of nan World Cup and expected everything now. I was looking astatine different young players, what they were doing, and not really valuing nan way that I was on.

"Playing for City and England, my trajectory would person been consecutive up."

After a twelvemonth connected nan books astatine Wycombe Wanderers, Anderson dropped down into non-league earlier retiring successful 2023.

"The spark of shot conscionable wasn't really there," he says.

"I didn't person nan aforesaid thrust and emotion for it that I had 5 years earlier, I was happy to do my time job. The determination to afloat extremity playing came rather easily."

Like astir footballers, Anderson started young.

His first sensation of shot came successful his location municipality of Barrow-in-Furness, wherever he played some outfield and successful extremity for nan under-six squad coached by his dad.

Before agelong he was scouted by Blackpool, wherever he played until nan 2 Manchester giants came calling.

Manchester United and City some wanted nan 11-year-old, but he and his family were swayed by nan latter's plans for nan state-of-the-art City Football Academy.

Moving from a mini municipality successful Cumbria to a caller metropolis and an elite nine was a daunting experience, but 1 Anderson feels helped him create arsenic a personification and move careers years later.

"Being successful a precocious capacity situation each azygous day, wherever you effort to execute nan highest level, moving arsenic difficult arsenic you tin and being called retired if you're not astatine nan level - not galore kids are exposed to that," he says.

"It shapes you arsenic a person. When I look backmost astatine my shot career, group inquire maine if I regret it but perfectly not.

"Football gave maine perfectly everything, successful position of vulnerability and nan opportunity to mature really young."

When nan coronavirus lockdown near Anderson incapable to find a caller club, he started wondering really nan money he had earned astatine City had dwindled away.

"I retrieve being 17 and not knowing what to do pinch nan money, it was a daunting thing," he says.

Anderson passed accountancy and finance exams aft contacting nan Professional Footballers' Association for guidance.

He decided that way wasn't for him, which led to him shadowing a financial advisor adjacent his parents' house.

He's worked successful financial readying and proposal ever since, turning down respective offers to return to nan Football League arsenic his bosom wasn't successful it.

His caller pursuit provided a level of power and information - arsenic good arsenic intent - that playing lower-league shot could not.

"At Wycombe, I'd get questions from older players," he says. "I realised location is simply a deficiency of acquisition and support astir finance successful football.

"There's not capable education, guidance and support for young group pinch precocious earnings.

"If you're a lower-league player, your contiguous privilege should beryllium to scheme for life aft football. If you've sewage that sorted, you tin group yourself and your family up for years.

"I look astatine what I cognize now and consciousness for illustration I request to thief arsenic galore group successful shot arsenic I can."

But erstwhile he sees his erstwhile England team-mates succeeding astatine nan apical of nan game, does he person immoderate regrets?

"I'm proud to spot them doing truthful well, I don't beryllium location and deliberation I wish I was doing that, aliases what could person been," he says.

"I've sewage nary regrets and I'm not envious. I conscionable stopped enjoying it. If you offered to put maine successful their situations now, playing week-in week-out successful nan Premier League, I wouldn't waste and acquisition that for what I'm doing now.

"When I look astatine my shot career, it gave maine nan opportunity to do what I do now. There aren't galore financial advisers nether 25 - aliases not galore bully ones anyway!"