Ex-Everton and Sheffield Wednesday player hangs up boots to become a builder | OneFootball

The former defender has taken an unorthodox next step in his career.

When footballers hang up their boots, there are several routes that they can take, but not all follow the more conventional paths.

Coaching, punditry, or even scouting offer players the opportunity to remain in the game, where they can utilise links to previous clubs to kickstart their new careers.

However, there have been cases of ex-professionals taking more obscure jobs, with Jody Craddock becoming an artist and Thomas Garversen becoming a professional poker player.

Now a former Everton, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackpool man has shared his surprising new career path after retiring.

Jordan Thorniley now a builder after Everton, Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford United spells

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Jordan Thorniley left Oxford United in early February after five years at the club, and although he is only 29, he has decided to take up a new venture.

The former centre-back came through the ranks at Everton but never made a senior appearance for the club before securing a free transfer to Sheffield Wednesday in 2016.

Thorniley made 35 appearances for the Owls during a four-year stint but enjoyed his best period of first-term football with Blackpool, where he made 76 appearances.

The 29-year-old took to Instagram to share his surprising news, posting a video of himself at work with a taste of what he has been getting up to.

"Swapped the boots for boots, follow my journey from Pro Football to Pro Builder," Thorniley said in the caption.

"Six months of grafting and learning so far under the guidance of @jhjoinery finally got my drill out of reverse. Video content might improve."

Why story of Thorniley's football career

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Thorniley was surrounded by several household names during his time in the Everton academy, including Mason Holgate and Tom Davies, under the stewardship of Toffees favourite David Unsworth.

However, the reality for youth prospects at Premier League clubs is that they are unlikely to gain first-team opportunities and must forge careers elsewhere.

A move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2016 meant that the defender benefited from regular Championship football, and while he was a regular starter, he fell out of favour and became a bench-warmer.

Thorniley appeared to have found a regular place in the second tier with Blackpool, where he scored his first career goal against QPR before signing for Oxford on loan and then securing a permanent transfer.

However, he endured precious little football at the Kassam Stadium despite manager Karl Robinson stating that he had been chasing the defender for a while, making just 10 appearances across two campaigns.

A loan move to Northampton Town yielded greater opportunities, but his spell was cut short after revelations from manager Kevin Nolan.

"He has battled through some games for the sake of the team, and we applaud and appreciate his commitment," he said via BBC Sport.