New career opportunity is taking Walker down a new path

“There aren’t a lot of similarities between the careers,” said Laurie Walker as he prepares for life after football.

The former MK Dons goalkeeper is no stranger to having to work alongside his playing time, spending the majority of his career in the non-leagues.

A qualified coach, and holding sessions alongside another ex-Dons man Rob Hall for groups and individuals looking to hone their skills, Walker, at 34, knows his playing days will not last forever. So he is putting plans in place to help others do the exact same - by helping them write their wills.

"My partner has been doing it her whole career, and the more we talked, the more I thought about going down that path too,” Walker told the Citizen.

The pair founded Future Legal, an estate planning firm to help clients understand and finalise their documents in and around the Milton Keynes area.

Walker continued: “It was never something I really considered, but I wrote my will not long afterwards. I did the courses, qualified and now it's something I can see myself doing when my playing days end.

“I have always enjoyed helping people, which is why I've taken all my coaching badges as well, and this is another way of doing that.”

Preparing for life after football has always been in the forefront of Walker’s mind, ever since his initial release from MK Dons as a teenager.

Plying his trade in the National League for the majority of his career, he feels, has made him very aware of the fragility of a footballing career, but said clubs must do more to help players put plans in place to get ready for the next chapter when their playing days end.

He said: “I think clubs need to offer more to their players, not just the academy lads, to prepare them for life after football. To be honest, they're all really bad at it. Once you're out, there is nothing in the way of a support system really.

“I think players should be encouraged to sign up to do something educational, a course, a degree, anything really to prepare them.

“Realistically, unless you've had a career in the top flight, you'll probably need to do something else after you retire from the game.”