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.