The short nature of footballers' careers leaves them with plenty of time to try all manner of other things after hanging up their boots.
Some go into coaching; others make a name for themselves as pundits; and plenty enter the weird and sometimes wonderful world of reality TV.
Here, we take you through just some of the players who have popped up on I'm a Celebrity, Strictly and more...
32. Jermaine Jenas (The Great Sport Relief Bake Off)
Since hanging up his boots, Jermaine Jenas has carved out quite the media career for himself, regularly providing analysis on Match of the Day and becoming a principal host of flagship BBC magazine programme The One Show.
The ex-Tottenham, Newcastle and England had previously taken part in The Great Sport Relief Bake Off alongside former Spice Girl Geri Horner, her fellow pop star Louise Redknapp, and BBC News legend John Simpson.
31. Erik Pieters (The Real Housewives of Cheshire)
Dutch defender Erik Pieters spent the majority of his career in England, and it was during his six-year spell with Stoke City that he dabbled in reality TV.
He could have timed it better, mind you: Stoke were battling relegation from the Premier League when he appeared on The Real Housewives of Cheshire with his other half, Nermina Pieters-Mekic. And the Potters did end up going down…
30. Dennis Wise (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!)
A bit of a troublemaker as a player, Dennis Wise brought his antics to I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here! in 2017, featuring alongside the likes of boxing star Amir Khan and [checks notes] Rebekah Vardy.
The former Chelsea and England midfielder was the sixth contestant to be voted out of the jungle.
29. Kieron Dyer (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins)
A veteran of more than 200 Premier League appearances for Newcastle, West Ham and QPR, Kieron Dyer finished fourth on I’m a Celebrity in 2015.
He returned to TV screens six years later, taking part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins but having to withdraw from the show due to a collapsed lung (ouch!).
28. Danny Mills (Celebrity MasterChef)
A 2000/01 Champions League semi-finalist with Leeds and a 2002 World Cup quarter-finalist with England, Danny Mills made it all the way to the final of the 2012 series of Celebrity MasterChef.
Evidently pretty handy in the kitchen, the defender turned pundit finished as a runner-up behind actress Emma Kennedy.
27. Alex Scott (Strictly Come Dancing, Mission Survive)
Arsenal and England legend Alex Scott has established herself as one of the best football broadcasters around since hanging up her boots – and she also had a stab at Strictly in 2019.
Partnered by Neil Jones, Scott lasted 11 weeks of the show and finished fifth. Three years earlier, she won the Bear Grylls-presented show Mission Survive.
26. Jimmy Bullard (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!)
A rare 21st century footballing prankster, Jimmy Bullard starred in the Premier League for Wigan, Fulham and Hull.
Two years after retiring, he appeared on the 14th series of I’m a Celebrity but suffered an early exit from the jungle as he was the first to be voted out.
But that proved to be the start of a semi-sustained TV career for Bullard, whose roles included co-hosting Soccer AM.
25. Wayne Bridge (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!, Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins)
Former Chelsea and England left-back Wayne Bridge was one of two sports stars to appear on the 2016 series of I’m a Celebrity, alongside Olympic gold medal-winning hockey player Sam Quek – and he fared reasonably well, being the eighth contestant eliminated.
Three years later, Bridge did even better: he won the inaugural edition of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, trekking across the El Morado glacier in Chile.
24. Jermaine Pennant (Celebrity Big Brother, Celebs Go Dating)
Jermaine Pennant could have been a great player, but he ended up becoming more notable for his off-field exploits – which included crashing his car into a lamppost drunk and telling police he was Ashley Cole.
After retiring, the former Liverpool and Arsenal winger went into the Celebrity Big Brother house – where he appeared to get a bit too friendly with a fellow contestant, model Chloe Ayling, while his wife watched back home…
Mr and Mrs Pennant subsequently underwent counselling on another reality show, Celebs Go Dating.
23. Hope Solo (Dancing with the Stars)
One of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the women’s game, Hope Solo lined up between the sticks as the USA won the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
Four years earlier, she had swapped the football pitch for the ballroom, reaching the semi-finals of Dancing with the Stars – the American version of Strictly Come Dancing.
22. Jamie O’Hara (Celebrity Big Brother, Love Undercover)
Part of Tottenham’s 2007/08 League Cup-winning squad, Jamie O’Hara featured on Celebrity Big Brother in 2017 – and lasted 27 days before being evicted from the house.
Then in 2024, he showed up on Love Undercover, a dating show following former and current footballers trying to find love in Los Angeles while concealing their true identities.
21. Ryan Babel (Lover Undercover)
Ryan Babel joined Jamie O’Hara on dating show Love Undercover in 2024, setting his stall out by revealing his type to be a woman who looked like Beyonce.
The ex-Liverpool and Netherlands forward didn’t waste any time in making the leap to reality TV, having only retired the year before.
20. Ian Wright (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!)
One of the most popular pundits of the modern era, Ian Wright swapped the comfort of the Match of the Day sofa for the Australian jungle in 2019, starring in the 19th series of I’m a Celebrity.
The Arsenal great – who had previously featured on Big Brother spin-off Celebrity Hijack – was the fifth campmate to be voted out.
19. David James (Strictly Come Dancing)
Former holder of the record for the most clean sheets in Premier League history, ex-England goalkeeper David James took to the Strictly dancefloor in 2019 – and was the fourth person eliminated.
The former Liverpool, West Ham and Manchester City custodian has also featured on a number of gameshows, including Countdown and the celebrity version of Pointless.
18. Bruce Grobbelaar (Hell’s Kitchen)
Among the most brilliantly bonkers goalkeepers ever to pull on the gloves, Bruce Grobbelaar kept his cool in some immensely high-pressure situations for Liverpool (none more notable than the 1984 European Cup final against Roma – scene of the moustachioed Zimbabwean’s ‘spaghetti legs’).
Grobbelaar later tried to keep his cool on Hell’s Kitchen, appearing on the high-stakes cookery show in 2009 – but he lasted just 10 days before quitting.
17. Shola Ameobi (Cribs)
Newcastle cult hero Shola Ameobi starred on cult MTV show Cribs back in the day, giving the public a peek inside his house (from the comfort of their own sofas, of course).
Among the highlights of the towering former Nigeria striker’s episode was his rather enviable collection of baseball caps.
16. John Barnes (Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity Big Brother)
Liverpool and England legend John Barnes has tasted the classy and – let’s face it – slightly less classy sides of reality TV, appearing on Strictly and Celebrity Big Brother.
Barnes placed seventh on the BBC’s enduring dance show in 2007 and 13th on Big Brother in 2018.
Personally, we think he had a better music career than a TV one…
15. John Fashanu (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!, Dancing on Ice)
A Premier League player for Wimbledon and Aston Villa, John Fashanu was the first footballer to appear on I’m a Celebrity, finishing second behind cricket legend Phil Tufnell in the show’s second series.
He didn’t hit quite the same heights when he took part in Dancing on Ice in 2023: he was the first contestant to be voted off…
Fashanu has also done his fair share of presenting, co-hosting Gladiators with Ulrika Jonsson during the 90s and, more recently, starring as the face of Deal or No Deal Nigeria.
14. Peter Schmeichel (Strictly Come Dancing)
Another Premier League goalkeeping legend who got on their dancing shoes for Strictly, Manchester United icon Peter Schmeichel partnered Erin Boag on the 2006 running of the show.
The great Dane lasted seven weeks before being eliminated on his 43rd birthday. Evidently, he had pretty good feet for a big man!
Schmeichel has also been a contestant on The Weakest Link, as well as hosting quiz show 1 mod 100 (1 vs. 100) in his homeland.
13. Rodney Marsh (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!, Celebrity Come Dine with Me, Celebrity Coach Trip)
QPR icon Rodney Marsh was well-established as a pundit on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday when he entered the jungle for the 2007 running of I’m a Celebrity – where he was the fifth person to be eliminated.
And he seemed to enjoy being a star of the screen, later popping up on Celebrity Come Dine with Me – finishing joint second with actress Abi Titmuss – and Celebrity Coach Trip, among other programmes.
12. Robbie Savage (Strictly Come Dancing)
Divisive though he may be, there’s no denying that Robbie Savage is one of the game’s biggest characters – and he felt like a natural fit for Strictly.
The former Leicester and Wales man – who has also presented long-running BBC radio football phone-in 606 – strutted his stuff on the 2011 running of the popular show, reaching the quarter-finals with partner Ola Jordan (and suffering a broken nose as he attempted a knee-slide en route).
11. Stan Collymore (The Farm)
Back in the 2000s, Channel 5 had the bright idea of letting a bunch of celebrities run a farm (at least the name of the show was quite self-explanatory).
And Stan Collymore’s appearance was certainly memorable: the ex-Liverpool and Nottingham Forest frontman got involved in a series of bust-ups with rapper Vanilla Ice – bemoaning how long he spent in the toilet – and stormed out in a rage.
10. Lee Sharpe (Celebrity Love Island)
Winner of the 1990/91 PFA Young Player of the Year award, one-time Manchester United prodigy Lee Sharpe was a contestant on Celebrity Love Island in 2005.
Sharpe proved quite a hit with the ladies, catching the eye of TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss before ultimately coupling up with Abi Titmuss (the pair stayed together for two years after the show).
9. Tugay (Celebrity MasterChef)
One of the great Premier League cult heroes for his long association with Blackburn Rovers, Tugay starred on Celebrity MasterChef in his native Turkey in 2010.
Well, he didn’t just star; he won the whole competition – but, alas, there seems to be no footage anywhere of him producing his title-winning culinary delights.
8. Rene Higuita (La Isla de Los famosos: Una Aventura Pirata)
As a player, crazy Colombian goalkeeper Rene Higuita had a penchant for madness – we’re talking about the bloke who randomly whipped out a scorpion kick at Wembley, for goodness sake – so it should come as no surprise that he appeared on a show whose name translates as The Island of the Famous: A Pirate Adventure – which followed a similar format to Survivor, centring around celebrities having to fend for themselves in a remote location.
But things got truly nuts for Higuita a bit later on: he underwent plastic surgery ON LIVE TV after being voted Colombia’s ugliest icon (harsh!).
7. David Ginola (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!, Danse avec les stars)
Among the finest players of his generation, 1998/99 PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year winner David Ginola was a contestant on the 2021 edition of I’m a Celebrity – which, amid Covid restrictions, took place not in Australia but, uh, Wales.
The flamboyant Frenchman put in a strong performance to finish fourth, having placed third in the inaugural season of Danse avec les stars (France’s version of Strictly) a decade earlier.
6. Paul Gascoigne (L’isola dei famosi)
Up there with the most popular English footballers of all time, Paul Gascoigne actually made his reality TV bow in Italy – where he played for Lazio in the early 90s.
Gazza was a contestant on the 2021 series of L’isola dei Famosi (The Island of the Famous) – but he had to leave the show early after injuring his shoulder while doing an assault course. Oh dear!
5. Jill Scott (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!)
Euro 2022-winning England women’s legend Jill Scott proved a huge hit on the 22nd series of I’m a Celebrity, heading to Australia mere months after hanging up her boots – and ending up being crowned ‘Queen of the Jungle’.
The following year, the former striker – who has carved out a prominent punditry career for herself – captained England at Soccer Aid.
4. Harry Redknapp (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!)
Ok, Harry Redknapp had been retired from playing for the best part of four decades when he entered the I’m a Celebrity jungle in 2018 – but the former Tottenham and Portsmouth was still very relevant in the game, having only called time on his managerial career the previous year.
And he only went and won the whole show, finishing ahead of actors Emily Atack and John Barrowman.
3. Glenn Hoddle (The Masked Singer)
Tottenham and England icon Glenn Hoddle is remembered as one of the classiest footballers of his generation, and for his stint as Three Lions manager – but he also reached number 12 in the UK singles charts in 1987, duetting with Chris Waddle on ‘Diamond Lights’.
It made perfect sense, then, that he popped up on the brilliantly bonkers The Masked Singer in 2021, performing as an anthropomorphic grandfather clock (because why not?!).
2. David Seaman (Dancing on Ice, The Masked Dancer)
David Seaman won three league titles with Arsenal and played at two World Cups for England, but everyone’s favourite ponytailed goalkeeper will surely look back on his reality TV appearances most fondly of all.
Seaman finished fourth on the inaugural series of Dancing on Ice in 2006, before marrying one of the professional dancers from the programme: Frankie Poultney – with whom he later starred on the utterly bizarre The Masked Dancer as ‘Pillar and Post’ (a post box and a heap of letters).
1. Neil Ruddock (I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!, Celebrity Big Brother Celebrity Wife Swap, Football Saved My Life, Celebrity Masterchef, Celebrity Come Dine with Me)
Notorious hardman Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock has showed his softer side in retirement, becoming a serial reality TV contestant.
The former Liverpool, Spurs and West Ham defender didn’t get off to the best of starts, finding himself eliminated third from the 2004 series of I’m a Celebrity – but he later impressed by reaching the final of Celebrity MasterChef.
In between those two adventures in tellyland, the evidently versatile Ruddock went to live with pop legend Pete Burns on Celebrity Wife Swap.
