Former Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore retires at 32 for new PEAK4 role | OneFootball

Former Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore has announced his retirement from professional football at 32. He is joining PEAK4 as Head of Elite Performance & Business Development.

According to Sunderland Echo, the forward was a free agent after leaving Rotherham United and, despite interest from a number of clubs, chose to begin a new career. He holds a first-class degree and a master’s in business.

Watmore made a major impact after arriving from Altrincham, playing a key role in a successful fight against relegation under Sam Allardyce. Two ACL injuries then severely disrupted his progress, and he left at the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

He rebuilt his career impressively, becoming a regular at Middlesbrough and then Millwall. His most recent spell was with Rotherham United.

Watmore said he had reflected and felt this was the right moment to retire and start his next chapter, offering thanks to every club, colleague and supporter, and especially his family. He added that the injuries taught him resilience, perspective and discipline, and that he is excited by PEAK4’s aim of applying elite sport principles to business, leadership and workforce wellbeing. He finishes with over 50 goals in over 300 appearances.

Source: Sunderland Echo