The professional life of a footballer is totally different from other jobs. Unlike accounting, journalism, banking, or whatever profession may exist, football, while knowing no bounds in profitability, is relatively restrained in terms of time. The majority of football players shot to fame as teens around 16-18, but the same number will be retired before they reach 38, with few exceptions from world-class stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Those who have retired from football must choose another career path to fill up the void from football and earn money for their family. While many former professional footballers choose to stay in the game as coaches or managers, others embark on different career journeys. If you have ever wondered what happened to old famous football players after they retired from the field, read on to find the answers.

Steven Gerrard was a former professional footballer who spent almost his entire career playing for Liverpool. Born in Merseyside in 1980, Gerrard entered the Liverpool Academy when he was nine and spent 17 years from 1998 to 2015 playing for the senior team. One of his generation's best players, Gerrard, who mostly played as a central midfielder, was famous for his ball-winning prowess, endurance, stamina, and creativity. During his service at Liverpool, the Reds legend won nine trophies, including the UEFA Champions League, two FA Cups, and three League Cups. He had 502 league appearances for Liverpool, which made him the third player alongside Ryan Giggs and former teammate Jamie Carragher to ever achieve the feat.

After spending his last two campaigns with MLS side LA Galaxy, Steven Gerrard called times on his career in 2016. He would, however, stay committed to football but in a new role: a manager. In January 2017, Gerrard got his first managerial role when he was appointed youth coach at Liverpool's Academy. In 2018, Gerrard became head coach of Scottish giant Rangers, where his leadership skills earned Rangers the record-breaking Scottish Premiership title without losing a single league match. Following his successful debut, Gerrard signed a three-and-a-half year contract with EPL club Aston Villa, where he managed his former teammate Philippe Coutinho. In the first season under Gerrard's command, Villa ended in 14th place.

A Premier League legend and Chelsea’s all-time top goalscorer, Frank Lampard retired from playing in February 2017 after a season playing in the United States with MLS side New York City.

Along with Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard was one of the greatest English players in the 2000s. The 44-year-old began his career at West Ham, where his father also played, before moving to London side Chelsea in 2001 for £11 million. He would stay committed to The Blues for the next thirteen years, where he established himself as the club's legend and leading all-time goalscorer with 211 goals. His glorious years with Chelsea brought Lampard three Premier League titles, four FA Cup wins, two League Cup wins, a UEFA Europa League trophy, a UEFA Champions League trophy, and various personal accolades. He went on to play for Manchester City and New York City before ending his career with 915 first-team appearances and 274 goals in 2016.

Just like Gerrard, Lampard decided to pursue a managerial career after quitting football. In May 2018, Lampard became head coach of Championship club Derby County and helped the club finish sixth in the final season. One year later, Lampard replaced the outgoing Sarri to be the manager of his former club Chelsea. In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Lampard helped Chelsea finish fourth. However, after overspending in his second season, Lampard received the sack in January 2021. After more than one year of staying inactive from managing, Lampard returned as head coach of Everton in January 2022 and helped the club avoid relegation.

Ronaldo de Lima (not Cristiano Ronaldo) was a Brazillian former football star. Born in 1976, Ronaldo de Lima was one of the most prolific attackers of all time, having won the Balloon d'Or two times with his first at 21 years old. Under the shirts of PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and AC Milan, Ronaldo was most famous for his accurate finishing and techniques typical of Brazil footballers. Totally, the Brazilian legend played 518 club matches in his career, scoring 352 goals. At international level, Ronaldo also netted 62 goals from 98 appearances, making him the third-greatest striker in the country's history, just behind Neymar and Pele.

After years of inactivity marred by scandals, Ronaldo de Lima marked his return to football in September 2018 when he purchased a 51% controlling stake in the Spanish club, Valladolid, for €30 million. Ronaldo's massive fortune at around €450 million also comes from his lifetime sponsorship deal with Nike, which still continues after he retired from the field.

Wayne Rooney was an English former football player, having spent most of his career for arguably one of the greatest clubs in Europe - Manchester United. At the age of nine, Rooney joined Everton's youth team and made his debut for the club two at age 16. After two seasons with the Merseyside club, Rooney joined Manchester United in the 2004 summer transfer window. At Old Trafford, Rooney quickly became an icon scoring 208 league goals and assisting another 103. With United, Rooney became the only English player, alongside teammate Michael Carrick, to win the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, League Cup, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup. After five seasons at Everton, D.C United, and Derby, the Manchester legend ended his career in January 2021 with 763 appearances and 313 goals.

Rooney's leadership skill and influence both on and off the pitch saw him receive a lot of managerial offers when he was still playing. After retirement, Rooney decided to join Derby County as head coach. At the time, Derby County was struggling with a 15-point deduction and facing the likelihood of relegation. After leaving Derby County, Rooney is continuing his managerial career at MLS side D.C United, where he used to play and score 25 goals in 52 appearances.

Zinedine Zidane, or 'Zizou', was a French former player who played mostly as an attacking midfielder. Born in 1972, Zizou rose to fame as one of the most creative playmakers during his time in the French side Bordeaux. In 1996, he moved to Italian giant Juventus and won two Serie A titles and an honorable Ballon d'Or. In 2001, Zidane went down in history as the most expensive player in the world at the time, moving to Real Madrid for €77.5 million. At the club, Zizou became a world-class player known for his elegance, vision, ball control, technique, and personality on and off the pitch. Totally, Zidane scored 125 goals in his 695 appearances for four clubs before retiring in 2006.

After retiring from football, Zidane still worked with Real Madrid as sporting director and advisor. In 2014, he was appointed head coach of Real Madrid's B team - Real Madrid Castilla. Two years later, following the dismissal of Rafael Benitez, Zidane became the senior team's new head coach and established himself as one of the most successful managers in the club's history. In Zidane's first spell with Real Madrid, the club won two Champions League titles and became the King of the league. However, his second spell with Real Madrid ended trophyless, with Zidane leaving the club for good in 2021. Since then, he has stayed under the radar and hasn't coached any team yet.

Iniesta is a Spanish professional footballer who captains the J1 League club Vissel Kobe. One of the best midfielders in football's history, Iniesta made his name at Barcelona, where he spent 16 seasons. After progressing through the club's famed young academy, La Masia, Iniesta made his first-team debut at 18 in 2004. Soon, Iniesta established himself as the league's superstar, helping Barcelona win two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015. During his glorious career at Barcelona, Iniesta was known for his agility, ball control, dribbling skills, and composure in close spaces. Totally, the Spanish maestro had 674 appearances and scored 57 goals for Barcelona.

After 22 years at Barcelona, Iniesta signed for Japanese club Vissel Kobe following a three-year deal in 2018. There, he has remained a regular in the starting line-up and even captains the Japanese club. Totally, Iniesta has made 123 appearances for Vissel Kobe and scored 26 goals. Despite his age (38), Iniesta is still hard-working on the pitch.

David Beckham was an English former midfielder and football icon. Starting his professional career at Manchester United, Beckham spent one season on loan to Preston North End before signing a professional contract in 1995 when he was 20 years old. During his ten years at the club, David Beckham became one of the most notable players. Despite his lack of significant pace, Beckham was still a prolific right winger who was famous for his range of passing, movement, link-up ability, and most notably, his incredibly bending free-kicks that made him a set-piece specialist. Beckham ended his glorious career in 2012 under Paris Saint-Germain's shirts, having 719 first-team appearances and winning an impressive number of trophies including six Premier League titles.

After retiring from football, David Beckham ventured into different business lines, backed up by his millionaire wife - ex Spice-Girl member Victoria Beckham. Together, David and Victoria Beckham launched many businesses and even founded a multi-million fashion brand. Beckham also became a fashion icon, receiving various lucrative endorsements and sponsorships from clothing designers, health and fitness specialists, fashion magazines, and perfume and cosmetics manufacturers. In 2018, Beckham exercised his option to purchase the MLS side Inter Miami CF and became the club's president. Still very much a public figure, David Beckham's net worth as of 2021 is around $450 million, making him the richest on this list.

Michael Owen was an English former football star and Liverpool legend. He quickly progressed through the Liverpool youth team thanks to his incredible pace and accurate finishing skills. Owen then scored on his Premier League debut in 1997 and went down in the club's history as the youngest goalscorer. At Liverpool, Owen had a total of 297 first-team appearances and scored 158 goals, making him one of only seven players to score 150 Premier League goals. After leaving Liverpool, however, Owen's career was marred by injuries and poor forms. After spending years of disappointment at Real Madrid, Newcastle, Manchester United, and Newcastle, Owen called it quits in 2013.

After retiring from the field, Owen has mostly worked as a pundit and commentator for BT Sport’s football coverage. Aside from starring on-screen, Owen is also the founder of a horse training yard called Manor House Stables. His eldest daughter Gemma, who was born in 2003, is following in his footstep as a TV personality after joining the 2022 series of ITV’s hugely popular show Love Island.

Thierry Henry is a French former player who was most famous for his tenure at EPL club Arsenal. The striker, born in 1977, rose to prominence as a young striker in Monaco's outfits, which earned him a ticket to Italian giant Juventus. However, limited playing time led to his departure to Arsenal, which set the beginning of his club's legend. At Arsenal, under the guidance of long-time mentor Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry became one of the most prolific strikers in the world, scaring defenders with his incredible pace, dribbling skills, and composure. In eight seasons at Arsenal, Henry played 370 games and scored 226 goals, which made him the greatest goalscorer in the club's history. Henry retired in 2014 after four seasons with MLS side NY Red Bulls.

After retiring in the 2013/2014 season, Henry became a match analyst for BBC at the 2014 World Cup, where he proved a fans' favorite thanks to his popularity. He then went on to complete his UEFA coaching degree in 2016 and became a coaching assistant at the Arsenal academy with their under-16 team and also their under-19 team. In the same year, he was appointed assistant manager of the Belgium national team under Roberto Martinez, leading the team to the semi-final. In 2021, after unsuccessful managerial spells at Monaco and Montreal Impact, the French legend rejoined the Belgian national team as a coaching assistant on a contract until 2022.

Ricardo Kaka is a Brazilian former professional footballer who used to play as an attacking midfielder. During his prime at AC Milan, Kaka was known for his creativity, range of passing, and the natural ability to glide through defenders in such an agile manner, which lent him the name 'Angel'. The 40-year-old made his debut at Sau Paulo in Brazil and moved to Serie A club AC Milan in 2003, where he quickly became a fans' favorite and club's icon. He helped Milan achieve the domestic title in his first season, with himself winning a Balloon d'Or in 2007. After six years in Italy, Kaka joined the Spanish giant Real Madrid in 2009 for €67 million - the second highest fee at the time. However, the move also marked his decline, which was marred by injuries. He retired in December 2017 after three seasons with MLS team Orlando City.

After Kaka hung up his boots in 2017, the Milan legend has been leading a relatively private life with his family. While it's unclear what Kaka's next move is, it's likely to be related to football management as the Brazilian star earned a degree in sports marketing a few years ago.