John works hard to find there is life after football

EX-TERRIER BEATS TRAGEDY AND 'BURNOUT' TO FORGE NEW CAREER

- By ANDREW ROBINSON

FORMER Huddersfield Town defender John McCombe has spoken about life after football and the ups and downs of forging a new career.

John was 10 when he pulled on a Huddersfield Town shirt and graduated from the Academy into the first team, making his debut in 2003 when he was just 17 years old.

He thought he'd made it - the dream of a career in professional football was real.

But the day that defined him came later, away from the pitch, and followed personal loss, "burnout" and the realisation that success doesn't mean much if you're not living the life you want.

Today, following a 20-year career in professional football, the dad-of-two works in financial planning.

John grew up in the former mining village of South Elmsall, Wakefield, developing a strong sense of community and the value of hard work in a tight-knit family.

His dad, Paul, fixes factory sewing machines in Leeds and, for over 30 years, his mum, Jackie, was head cook in a local nursing home.

"They taught me to work hard and look out for people," John said. "That's never left me."