Former Rangers and Scotland striker Kevin Kyle went from football fame to cleaning toilets to support his family

It is not unusual to hear stories of former footballers experiencing financial difficulties after their playing careers come toan end. Despite earning substantial salaries during their time in the game, some struggle to manage their money and findthemselves facing serious financial problems.

Former England internationals John Barnes, Paul Merson and Emile Heskey are among the players who have experiencedmoney troubles since retiring. Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has also been caught up in an alleged accounting scamthat reportedly cost him thousands.

Kevin Kyle is another former footballer with Scottish connections who knows what it is like to face financial hardshipafter leaving the professional game.

The ex-Scotland international enjoyed spells with several clubs across Britain, including Rangers, but eventually foundhimself taking on jobs far removed from football, including cleaning toilets and working aboard vessels in the ShetlandIslands.

Kevin Kyle’s journey from Sunderland to Rangers

Kyle began his senior career at Sunderland, where he made 13 Premier League appearances for the Black Cats during theearly 2000s.

The striker subsequently represented several English clubs, including Huddersfield Town, Coventry City and Wolves,before returning to Scotland in 2009.

His career north of the border included spells with Kilmarnock, Hearts, Rangers, Ayr United and Newton Stewart beforehe eventually retired in 2014.

Kyle also represented Scotland between 2002 and 2009, earning 10 international caps and scoring once against a HongKong League XI.

However, his life away from football took a very different direction after hanging up his boots.

According to The Express, Kyle was working aboard a fleet of vessels in the Shetland Islands during the same year heretired.

His responsibilities included moving supplies and cleaning toilets used by offshore workers.

When approached for comment at the time, Kyle gave a simple explanation for taking on the work:

“I’m trying to provide for my family.”

He was also pictured working aboard the Regina Baltic, a former ferry that had been converted into accommodation foroffshore employees.

Gambling addiction contributed to Kyle’s financial struggles

Kyle’s financial difficulties were reportedly connected to a serious gambling addiction.

Reports claimed that during his highest-earning years, he was regularly spending as much as £7,000 every week on bets.

The former striker previously revealed that he would sometimes volunteer for laundry and kitchen duties because itallowed him to distance himself from other people.

However, Kyle has challenged some of the figures associated with his playing career, particularly claims about how muchmoney he earned.

He also took on work as a taxi driver after leaving professional football, but admitted that the public perceptionsurrounding his career change was difficult to deal with.

Speaking about the labels attached to him, Kyle said:

“Now I’m classed as the 10 grand a week footballer who worked on the ships and is a taxi driver.

“I’m now labelled that and it’s not how it was, so it felt really bad. As time went by I had to keep working, it was the rightthing to do. Now I’ve got other ambitions but I never thought giving up football would be difficult.

“I don’t miss playing football but I find it difficult to adjust to the feelings of people judging you for what you do. Whenyou leave football, you tell people you’re a taxi driver and people say, ‘What the f*** are you doing that for?'”

Kyle also questioned why people might view certain football-related jobs as more respectable than ordinary employment,even when the financial rewards are considerably lower.

He added:

“When really, if I’d turned round and said I was a coach at Hearts’ youth team, people would say, ‘Superb’. But that coachmight only be earning £12,000 a year, training the kids one night a week. That won’t pay the bills in my life.”

Former Rangers striker rebuilds his career through podcasting

Kyle has since managed to establish a new career away from the football pitch.

In 2018, he became involved with the Open Goal podcast, building a profile in football media and sharing his experiencesof life in the professional game.

He has also worked as a mental health speaker, using his personal journey to help others dealing with similar challenges.

His story highlights the difficulties some players face when transitioning from professional football into everyday working life, particularly when financial problems and personal struggles are involved.

For Kyle, taking on jobs such as cleaning toilets and driving taxis was about supporting his family and finding a way forward after football.