Former Tottenham trialist Ted Smith reveals why he retired aged just 24
Former England youth goalkeeper Ted Smith has opened up on why he retired from the game of football at the age of 24 only (h/t The Telegraph).
The shot-stopper started out at the Southend United youth setup. He went on to make 30 first-team appearances before being released last summer.
When he was on the lookout for clubs, Smith trialed with our club as well. Indeed, the 24-year-old featured for our U-23 outfit in a game against Dulwich Hamlet last summer.
While the club did not sign him at the time, reports in January claimed that Spurs were looking to offer him a contract. Having allowed youngster Brandon Austin to leave on loan, the club was seeking more cover and had made contact with Smith (h/t The Sun).
But the 24-year-old rejected the offer as he had made the decision to quit from football altogether. Now, opening up on why he made such a decision at a young age, Smith has revealed that he did not enjoy being under the scanner every minute, with matchday pressures getting too much to handle (h/t The Telegraph).
“It wasn’t me. It wasn’t what I enjoyed. I love the game and the training side of it. But when it came to matchday pressures, it was always a bit too much for me. It was a long-time coming but I’m getting my head around it.”
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The 24-year-old further added that he used to get affected by negative comments on social media. So much that he ended up fearing football matches rather than enjoying them. He also went on to claim that his decision would inspire other footballers suffering from similar issues to take the bold step (h/t The Telegraph).
