‘I played for Klopp at Liverpool but quit the game at 25 – now I fly planes’

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    In 2016, Joe Maguire would have felt on top of the world – in 2023, he is now flying over the clouds.

    The date was January 8, 2016 and Maguire may have thought his whole life had changed. As Liverpool meandered their way to a disappointing 2-2 draw against Exeter City in the FA Cup third round, Maguire was introduced into the contest by Jurgen Klo pp.

    After receiving one of the German’s iconic hugs, some words of encouragement and a pat on the back, Maguire was on for his debut. Unfortunately, that would be his only involvement for the Merseysiders’ senior side.

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    He failed to crack the glass ceiling at Anfield and was sold to Fleetwood Town in the 2017 January transfer window. A loan move to Crawley Town followed, before he was then sold to Accrington Stanley.

    A relatively successful two-season spell with the club saw him move to Tranmere Rovers. In 2022, Maguire departed the club and chose to retire from football. "I wasn't having the career I wanted, but I would blame other things because I never wanted to accept football could be the reason," he explained in an interview with the Daily Mirror.

    What other promising youngsters struggled to reach the top level? Let us know in the comments-section below


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    "And that's when I got to the point where I felt, 'Let’s leave'. I only had a year at Tranmere anyway, so I would leave, take a few months out, enjoy the summer, and see how I felt. And if I didn't miss football and if I started to feel happier in my life, then it would be clear that football was making me unhappy and I would walk away."

    Maguire is now on an introspective journey to find what his passion is. He has rediscovered his love for painting, travelled the world, started a business and even taken up flying lessons. "My mum and my sister paint and it's always been something I enjoy," he added

    "I did art at A-level and I invest in artwork and stuff like that. I've always been into different things as well as football. My uncle flies planes, which is how I got into flying. I love hearing about other careers and industries because in the football world, you're so sheltered."

    He also said: "People imagine football must be the most perfect job in the world. And it can be amazing. But that doesn't mean it can't get you down. It's not as shiny as it looks. It's not always a nice environment."

    • Liverpool FC
    • Jurgen Klopp
    • Premier League

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