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SHOCK EXIT – YOUNG PREMIER LEAGUE GOALKEEPER RETIRES FOR NEW VENTURE

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman has retired from football at 27 for a new career. After one Spurs appearance and a Europa League medal, he's now a director and photographer, leaving the "football bubble" behind.

Shock exit – young Premier League goalkeeper retires for new venture
Alfie Whiteman retires from Football - COURTESY/PHOTO

For millions of young aspirants, being a Premier League football player and taking home a European medal is the stuff of fantasies.

Most football players want to live out their dreams and earn the money and recognition that come with it, but not everyone is cut out to be a professional.

For one former Tottenham Hotspur player, who left the team after 17 years in favour of fresh opportunities, that is undoubtedly the case.

A former Spurs goalie declares retirement


Alfie Whiteman, who signed a three-year contract with the Spurs in 2019, began his journey through the youth ranks of the club at the age of eleven. When he took Joe Hart's place in the closing minutes of a Europa League game against Ludogorets Razgrad in November 2020, he made his first appearance in the first team.

Although it would turn out to be his only senior appearance for Spurs, the 27-year-old native was a member of the team that won the Europa League the previous season and took home a winners' medal after defeating Manchester United in the championship game.

However, that would turn out to be his last performance for the team, as he left in the summer when his contract expired. However, despite rumoured interest from Championship teams, Whiteman has chosen to change careers rather than look for a new club.

He has now shared that he is working as a director and photographer. He signed with the production company Somesuch. This news comes after he hosted a monthly radio show on NTS. He also has a popular profile on the film-review app Letterboxd.

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“The stereotype of a footballer is generally quite true. It’s the golf, wash-bag culture,” he told The Athletic while discussing his change in direction.

“I was that young footballer. I wanted the Gucci wash bag, and I drove the Mercedes. You all just become a reflection of each other. You’re a product of your environment.

“It’s the way football is in this country; it’s so shut off from anything else. You go to training and then you go home, that’s it. I guess I always felt a little different. My teammates – whom I got along with – called me a hippie. That was their definition.

“But then, when I was 18, I met my ex-girlfriend, who was a model. She was a bit older than me. Her best friend was a director. It started to open my eyes to what life has to offer. As I got older, around 18 or 19, I began meeting new people and learning more about myself, and understanding the football bubble because it’s so closed off.”

"Football is a short career, even if you do really well. I knew I didn’t want to stay in it. It was important for me to gain experience and actively learn about other things I was interested in. Mainly, I was enjoying it, and I was surrounded by people who were doing what I loved for a living. 

They were creating things. It was really inspiring.

For over a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. He has worked at Mirror Football and LeedsLive, among others, and reported on Euro 2024 for FourFourTwo. Besides his journalism, Mewis has written four books on football history, focusing on Leeds United and the England national team. Now, he is also a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town. Mewis considers some of his best moments to be at the famous Spygate press conference with Marcelo Bielsa and watching Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown."

VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE

Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.

top-news
Antoine Semenyo’s clumsy challenge handed Chelsea a vital lifeline

Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.

This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.

What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.

VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."

VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.

At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.

Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.

The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.

Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.

A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.

Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth

Referee: Sam Barrott

VAR: Craig Pawson

What: VAR check for a foul in the box

When: 11th minute

BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW

Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.

top-news
Emery snubs Arteta's handshake

Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.

This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.

Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.

Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.

Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.

After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.

It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.

“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.

“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”

About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.

“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.

“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.

“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.

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