Thompson's post-career plan will see him get comfortable with being uncomfortable
The former Portsmouth and Peterborough defender is preparing for his post-game career
Life after football often sees players opt for property or coaching, but MK Dons defender Nathan Thompson hopes for a career in the boardroom when he hangs up his boots.
The 35-year-old completed a masters degree in Sports Directorship after leaving Portsmouth in 2019, beginning his post-playing career planning.
Thompson took the bold decision to leave Fratton Park in search of Championship football after rejecting a new contract to remain with Pompey. But with offers not forthcoming, Thompson opted to go down the education route before agreeing a move to Peterborough United.
That spell of uncertainty though when he was without a club emphasised the importance of future-proofing for the Dons defender, with plans already afoot for when he hangs up his boots.
“I felt really vulnerable when I left Portsmouth without a club,” he told the Changing Room podcast. “I started in property, bought them, did them up, sold them on, rented them out, that sort of thing. Stereotypically as players, property or coaching is the next step. I did my coaching badges, had just been signed off on the UEFA B coaching badges, but truthfully, I don’t think either of those are a path I’ll take when I finish football.
“It was then when I signed up for my Masters in Sports Directorship. I’m passionate about strategy, where business and football or sport intersect.”
A far cry from his day job on the pitch, Thompson said the best part of his course was being taken out of his comfort zone.
He continued: “I really enjoyed the course, but more so the zone of proximal development. It’s that space just outside your comfort zone, and it’s about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. That was something which really opened my eyes.
“For me it was going and networking, speaking to people. As footballers, we’re quite good at cliche answers when people speak to you, giving generic responses. But when the shoe is on the other foot, when you have to go and seek information from someone else, and having to start those conversations, that’s where the course has been fantastic.”
And when his playing days come to an end, he said he has already formulated a plan, adding: “I’ve spent the last couple of years networking. Football is a closed shop, it’s who you know not what you know. I’m trying to get my foot in the door to get opportunities once I finish, whether that’s as an analyst or as a sporting director.”