I don’t tend to live with regrets but if I was to go back in time and tell my younger self just one thing, it would be to do some more real world learning and plan further ahead when it comes to my long-term career.
Despite undertaking a joint honours degree in sport science with computer programming, I never ended up completing it, because I was so busy playing for Saracens Rugby Club. Given how dedicated I was to my sporting career, it was the right decision.
I feel as though I’ve had two careers, having retired as a professional rugby player in 2012. The 15 years I spent on the field during my ‘first’ career were somewhat of a rollercoaster. I was living and breathing the sports environment, with very little time to think about anything else. It consumed my life.
One week would be great, the next terrible. I was caught up in a bubble and kept myself shut off from the outside world, without ever thinking ‘what’s next?’ I had my head down playing the game, and rarely explored other opportunities around me.
But in 2007, this came to bite me. I was injured during a game, and the operation didn’t go as planned.
Despite going in with a broken hand, I came out of surgery without being able to feel that part of my body at all, due to nerve damage. I was able to recover, but this was a real wake-up call. I was 27 at the time, so I could only play for another five years at most if I was lucky.
I was forced to plan for life after rugby. I hedged my bets because if I got injured again, I’d at least have the choice to turn to something else.
When I was younger I felt bulletproof, but I soon came to realise that my rugby career could end in a flash.
This is what led to my ‘second’ career, as I decided to train as a financial adviser (FA).
The idea of becoming an FA came about because I got chatting with someone at a Saracens sponsors lunch, and they said ‘come and see what we do in the City’. I went to their HQ in London, and thought that could be an option for when I retired.
By the time I ended my rugby career, I had completed all of my qualifications to become a financial adviser and decided it was time to take the next step.
I could’ve done things differently and had a shiny new career earlier on had I thought about things more, but I was ready for the next phase.
I ended up working for a company on a self-employed basis for a while. However, I didn’t really enjoy London and didn’t want to go into the City every day, so I later decided to move back home to the Wirral with my family.
I worked in another couple of roles, before I joined PFP in 2014 — the company was still really new, so it was a good time to become part of the team.
Time really does go by so fast, and although everything worked out — as it always does in the end —I should have started planning the next steps of my career earlier on.
If I could go back and have a conversation with my younger self, I would tell him that ‘every person you meet could have an impact on what you do later in life, so don’t be afraid to explore any opportunities that are presented to you’.
A career in sports and a career in finance are very distinct directions, but my time as a professional player has led me to where I am today. I still coach rugby, and it suits me down to the ground to now also be advising people how to reach their financial goals too.