The ex-Sunderland, Sheffield United and Wolves star who now sells art as a professional painter | OneFootball

Jody Craddock has found a new profession after hanging up his boots

In recent years, we have seen many ex-EFL stars forge a new career for themselves after hanging up their boots in order to continue making a name for themselves.

One of the most high-profile in this regard is former Brentford, Birmingham City and Aston Villa winger, Jota, who has since become even more wealthy through his ventures in the world of business.

The Spaniard is currently CEO of Groinn, an agricultural technology firm, with such advances being present in countries such as his native country, Belgium, The Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.

However, another man associated with different levels of an on-pitch legacy in the West Midlands is former Wolverhampton Wanderers captain, Jody Craddock.

The 50-year-old Redditch-born defender became a household name in the Championship and Premier League for many years, initially starting a senior career which spanned 21 years at Christchurch FC in Dorset, before gaining his first breakthrough in the EFL with Cambridge United between 1993 and 1997.

Before retiring at the end of the 2012/13 season, which proved to be a disastrous campaign for the aforementioned Wolves, who suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League into League One, Craddock sought to pursue a post-playing career in the world of art, extremely different to some of his former teammates and those of other clubs who have since become regular fixtures in the world of sports media.

Jody Craddock is now a successful artist after playing career with Sunderland, Sheffield United and Wolves

As previously mentioned, Craddock spent the bulk of his playing days between the Premier League and the Championship, initially moving to Sunderland in August 1997.

During his first season at the Stadium of Light, the defender helped the Black Cats finish third, before they lost out to Charlton Athletic on penalties in the play-off final in May 1998 after a 4-4 thriller, which is regarded as the best play-off final of all-time by several neutrals and pundits.

Craddock would reach the top-flight 12 months later though, as Peter Reid's side achieved a 105-point haul, finishing top by 18 points, before spending a 10-game period with Sheffield United the following season.

237 of his career appearances then came at Molineux between 2003 and 2013, which included a Championship-winning season under Mick McCarthy in 2008/09 despite well-documented injury issues.

In total, the centre-back made 185 appearances at second-tier level, scoring seven times, but is now making waves as a professional artist, which has included being commissioned by former Chelsea captain, John Terry, for a painting, as well as producing one of Sir David Beckham.

"I think it's common knowledge that I'm an artist," Craddock recently told BBC Radio WM. "That's what I naturally went into when I retired from football. But I've been working on a new identity, which I've kept under wraps for the last year.

"I'd done portraiture for years. When I retired I then experimented with graffiti and photo realism. But I needed something that can be taken seriously, that looks good and that people will look at and recognise.

"There's a not a lot out there that has not already been done, so to think of something original and different was hard."

On Saturday, November 15th, Craddock also showcased his latest collection, Le Bellezza Della Fusione, at the Antidote Art Gallery in Lutterworth, which began at the traditional footballing kick-off time of 3PM.

Jody Craddock's former sides have endured contrasting fortunes so far this season

Whilst he focuses on his current career exploits, Craddock will no doubt be keeping tabs on his former sides, of which many have endured contrasting fortunes in the early weeks of the season.

Wolves will be hoping to avoid a first Championship stint since 2017/18 following the appointment of his former teammate, Rob Edwards, who left Middlesbrough in controversial circumstances, whilst Sunderland have returned to the elite in fine form under Regis Le Bris.

That comes after the Black Cats defeated Sheffield United at Wembley in May, with the Blades still yet to recover from such circumstances despite the reappointment of Chris Wilder after Ruben Selles' disastrous six-game tenure at Bramall Lane.