Former Sunderland player, Kevin Kyle, who used to earn £10,000-a-week playing for the premiere league team now earns £800-a-fortnight working a 12-hour shift on a ship stacking boxes & cleaning toilets.

33-year-old kevin who started the job on board the 300-capacity ship on July 8th, said he had no choice but to take the job.

“I’m trying to provide for my family. Many footballers pick up jobs after football but I don’t see stories about them in the newspapers. I don’t really want to publicize my lifestyle in the newspapers about whether I have a job or don’t have a job. I have to work at some point to put food on the table and to provide for my family.” He said

The dad of 3 was jobless for 6 months after his contract with League One minnows Ayr United was scrapped in January. 

Managers on the ship reportedly warned his new co-workers not to discuss Kevin’s former life as a footballer or bring it up with him as it’s a touchy subject.  

“Kevin started work on the ship earlier this month. It’s sad really to see someone who was obviously well-loved by the fans seemingly ending his career relatively early.” A source said

In a 2010 newspaper interview he said:

“Sometimes in life money is not everything. I know a lot of people disagree with that but I had all the money years ago when I played with Sunderland and Coventry and I p***** it up a wall gambling. So money doesn’t always make you happy. The happiest I have been was the first year at Kilmarnock, playing football and knowing what my wage was.”