Former Chelsea star and EPL winner, Lenny Pidgeley, who played for Jose Mourinho, has retired from football and is now employed as a gardener.
When the former custodian joined the Blues as a teenager in 2003, he had the entire world at his feet.
The young custodian was quickly chosen by Mourinho, who had recently transferred from Porto to Chelsea, for his side during the 2004–2005 campaign.
However, it was nearly a given that Pidgeley would not have a significant role that season given the presence of Petr Cech.
Be that as it may, Mourinho still found a place for him on the bench during Chelsea’s League Cup triumph in 2005.
The former goalkeeper went on to make his Premier League debut towards the end of the campaign as the Blues went on to lift the Premier League trophy.
Incredibly, John Terry is said to have even gone out of his way to ensure Pidgeley received a winners medal.
Lenny Pidgeley’s career hits nosedive
However, that is as far as it went with Pidgeley’s career at Chelsea. According to The Sun, the Englishman left Stamford Bridge in 2006 after just two appearances and went on to join Millwall on loan.
After then, he became a journeyman with several lower-tier teams, including Woking, Carlisle United, Bradford City, Exeter City, Newport County, Mansfield Town, Leatherhead, Forest Green Rovers, Hastings United, and Margate.
He would later wind up his career at Farnborough, where his manager infamously announced the goalkeeper’s retirement from football in 2018.
Lenny Pidgeley’s struggle with depression
It is understood that Pidgeley’s football career came to a screeching halt just three months after he had penned a deal with Farnborough.
According to reports, the ex-keeper’s retirement came after a struggle with depression.
“The manager had made me feel so small and suggested it was all my fault if they lost, because I couldn’t play,” Pidgeley told FourFourTwo.
He called out his former manager for stealing his moment in retirement – a moment he believes every professional has the right to.
“That could have tipped somebody else over the edge, but luckily for me I had the coping mechanisms in place to put it to one side,” he added.
More than four years after Pidgeley’s retirement, the former Chelsea star is now working as a gardener – a career switch he has found fulfilment in.
“It’s tempting to wonder how different it could have panned out if I wasn’t one of the thousands who suffer from depression, but I am where I am and I’m finding peace,” he recently admitted.
Kante hints at Chelsea future
Earlier, Sports Brief reported that N’Golo Kante has made a decision over his Chelsea future amid speculation he could depart at the end of the season.
The Frenchman’s current deal with the Stamford Bridge side is set to expire this summer, with his contract situation sparking fears he could leave for free.
Kante has been one of Chelsea’s most influential figures since his arrival back in 2016 from Leicester City, with his latest comments hinting at his plans.