The Only Amateur Player At The World Cup Retires From Football

Chris Wright

19th, July 2010

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By Chris Wright

New Zealand defender Andy Barron, who was the only amateur* player at this summer’s World Cup, has decided to retire from ‘all football’ – and when he says ‘all football’, he bloody well means ‘all football’!

The 29-year-old midfielder intends to give up playing altogether (semi-pro leagues, 5-a-side, Subbuteo) in order to focus on his banking career.

From the AP;

“Barron said he had always intended to retire after the World Cup and to concentrate on his full-time banking job.

His retirement was from all levels of football, including weekly matches for the amateur Petone club on a muddy field in suburban Wellington.

Barron said he had taken a vacation to play for New Zealand and owed it to his employers to concentrate on his career.”

After playing for the last four minutes of the All White‘s hard-fought 1-1 draw with Italy, Barron can seriously claim to have bowed out at the peak of his footballing career – and for that, Pies salutes you!

* In fairness, Barron isn’t technically an ‘amateur’, having played at a semi-pro level for the majority of his career – but he’s as close as damn it.