Quitting Football at 20? Read This First

By Alan Deriard
Football Agent | Elite Football

Short Summary

A player called me recently wanting to quit football.

He’s already signed overseas.
Playing professionally in Europe.
Living what most players would consider the dream.

But at 20 years old, he feels like:

• he’s falling behind
• he won’t reach the level he wants
• it’s time to quit

And honestly?

What he’s feeling is completely normal.

Because this is the age where football stops feeling like a game… and starts feeling like your entire future.

The Pressure Most Players Feel at 19–20

This is where things change mentally.

At 16:

• football is exciting
• life feels open
• everything still feels possible

But around 19–20:

• reality starts hitting
• comparisons become brutal
• uncertainty becomes heavy

Players start asking themselves:

• What if I don’t make it?
• What does my future look like?
• Am I wasting my time?
• Should I move on?

And this uncertainty destroys more football careers than lack of talent ever will.

The Real Reason Players Quit

Most players say:

“I’m not good enough.”

But usually, that’s not the real reason.

The real reason is:

They’re tired of uncertainty.

Football is:

• unstable
• emotional
• unpredictable
• high-risk

And eventually, players crave:

• certainty
• stability
• income
• relationships
• normality

So they convince themselves quitting is the “mature” decision.

What Nobody Tells Young Players

Here’s what I wish someone told me when I quit at 20:

Life is hard either way.

That’s the truth.

Most players quit football thinking:

• university will be easier
• business will be easier
• normal work will be easier

But it isn’t.

You’re just exchanging:

• one hard path
  for:
• another hard path

My Biggest Regret

I quit football because:

• I was broke
• exhausted
• mentally drained
• living in bad conditions
• commuting constantly
• struggling physically and mentally

And honestly?

I was weak.

That’s the truth.

I chose comfort over continuing.

Then I came home and worked retail jobs.

Waking up at 5am.
Stocking shelves.
Feeling like I escaped football pressure…

Only to realise:
I had simply traded one difficult life for another.

The Illusion Young Players Believe

A lot of players think:

“If I quit football, life becomes easier.”

It doesn’t.

Business is hard.
Corporate careers are hard.
University is hard.
Building anything meaningful is hard.

Most businesses fail.

Most people never reach the top of their industry.

The difference is:

Football has a shorter timeline, so the pressure feels more intense.

The Brutal Truth About Ambition

This is the hard conversation nobody wants to have.

If you don’t have the discipline to push through football…

What makes you think you’ll suddenly push harder somewhere else?

Because the truth is:

• success everywhere requires sacrifice
• every path involves suffering
• every career demands years of work

There is no easy option.

Only different types of hard.

Why Players Compare Themselves So Harshly

This kills confidence for a lot of players.

At 19 or 20, players look around and think:

“These 16-year-olds are already better than me.”

And sometimes they’re right.

But what most players fail to realise is:

Even professional football has levels.

There are:

• superstars
• top division players
• lower division professionals
• career professionals making good money for 10–15 years

Not everyone needs to become a Champions League player to build a football career.

I’ve seen professional players earning:

• solid incomes
• long careers
• stable lives

Without being extraordinary technically.

The Mistake Most Players Make

Most players think:

“If I’m not elite, there’s no point continuing.”

That’s false.

There are countless players:

• in second divisions
• third divisions
• lower professional leagues

Who built real careers without being world class.

The football world is far wider than social media makes it seem.

What Actually Matters

The real question is not:

“Will I become a superstar?”

The real question is:

“Am I willing to continue suffering for this path?”

Because every life path comes with:

• sacrifice
• uncertainty
• pressure
• years of development

Football is not unique in that way.

The Perspective Most Young Players Lack

When you’re young:

• football feels like everything
• failure feels permanent
• your world feels small

But life is much bigger than your current moment.

And ironically…

Most players who quit still end up struggling afterwards.

Because uncertainty exists everywhere:

• business
• careers
• relationships
• money
• life in general

Nobody fully knows what they’re doing.

The Truth About Decisions

There is no perfect decision.

You cannot:

• live two lives
• choose every path
• avoid regret completely

All you can do is:

• choose a direction
• commit to it fully
• make the decision the right one

That’s it.

Final Thoughts

If you want to quit football, be honest with yourself first.

Are you truly done?

Or are you simply tired of uncertainty?

Because life does not become easy after football.

It simply becomes hard in different ways.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do football players quit around 20?

Most players quit because of uncertainty, pressure about the future, financial stress, and feeling behind compared to other players.

Is quitting football the mature decision?

Not always. Many players mistake fear and uncertainty for maturity.

What happens after quitting football?

Most players simply exchange one difficult path for another, whether that’s work, business, or university.

Do all professional footballers become stars?

No. Many professionals build long careers in lower divisions without becoming elite-level stars.

Is football harder than normal careers?

Football is difficult, but so are business, corporate careers, and entrepreneurship. Every meaningful path requires sacrifice.

TLDR

Most players don’t quit football because they lack talent.

They quit because they’re exhausted by uncertainty.

But life after football is still hard.

You’re not choosing between:

• hard life
  and:
• easy life

You’re choosing between different types of hard.