John counting on career in finance

JOHN EYRE: Hoping to launch a new career.

FORMER Latics star John Eyre has his head in the books and exams just around the corner as he hopes to embark on a new career as a financial advisor.

Having been forced into early retirement three years ago because of a chronic back injury, he now looks forward to a new career with optimism after a chance meeting at Ernie Cooksey’s benefit match in May.

Optimism fuelled by the news that his wife Marie is making great progress in her battle against breast cancer.

“Marie has finished all her chemotherapy treatment, now she has to begin a course of radiotherapy which she has every day for a month.

“They need to make sure it has all gone and they are throwing everything at her because she’s young,” said 33-year-old Eyre.

His wife was diagnosed with cancer nine months ago, news that shocked the family - though it was experience of breast cancer within the family that helped Marie catch the illness so early.

“We were on holiday last year when Marie found a lump in her breast. She is very aware of breast cancer as her aunty suffered from it. When we got home she went straight to the doctors. It was a really aggressive form of the cancer but the important thing was that we caught it early,” added John.

The former midfielder and striker is now looking to kick-start a new career for himself and bring some stability after trying his hand at one or two things since hanging up his boots.

“After leaving Oldham it took me two years to adjust to life after football. I needed that time. I was injured so couldn’t get another club and had to take my retirement because my back was so bad.

“For the first two years I stayed at home and looked after my youngest daughter Mia while my wife worked full time. I enjoyed being a house husband and it has given me a special relationship with Mia, but the time came when I needed to get back to work.

“I got the opportunity 18 months ago, through a friend, to work in the car industry, selling cars which I did until recently. Initially I enjoyed it but the hours were tough. The money was rewarding but my personal life was non-existent.

“During the last couple of months it became too much with Marie being ill and I made the decision to leave.

“A chance meeting at Ernie Cooksey’s benefit match has now, hopefully, got me on the road to a new career with a financial firm.

“At the match I met up with Paul Kerr, a former financial advisor with the Professional Footballers Association, who dealt with my finances while I was playing.

“He has now left the PFA and set up his own firm.

“I need to get my head down and pass some exams before I can start working for him, but I have experience of sales through my previous job and also understand what younger players should be doing with their money. I made as many mistakes as anyone with my money during my early career and can draw on the things I learned from that time.”

Eyre is one of only a handful of players to enjoy two separate spells at Boundary Park and has fond memories.

“The highlight of my career would have to be my debut in the Premier League away at Chelsea, who included Glenn Hoddle in their line-up.

“I’d been doing okay in the reserves and Joe Royle put me in the squad for the game. I went down there just thinking I’d be a spare part, then on the morning of the game he told me I was on the bench.

“I remember Darren Beckford going down injured celebrating his goal after 10 minutes. I was straight on and I nearly scored with my first touch.

“We won the game and on the way home I was sat at the back of the bus just gobsmacked with what had gone on. Also the fact that I’d just earned a bonus that tripled my usual monthly wage had me in dreamland!”

Eyre didn’t make many appearances after that following the departure of manager Royle and things went down hill for the former trainee until he left for Scunthorpe in 1995.

He was re-signed by Latics legend Andy Ritchie in 2001 and made 114 appearances in his second spell. The sacking of Ritchie and the appointment of Mick Wadsworth as manager marked a dark time in Eyre’s career.

“When Mick Wadsworth took charge that was one of the worst periods of my career and I seriously considered quitting the game. That’s how bad things got under him and I could see no light at the end of the tunnel until he got the sack and Iain Dowie became manager.”

When you talk to any player who was at Athletic during the Dowie era they all say the same thing- that it was a special period of their career and should have ended with promotion to the Championship.

Said Eyre: “It was a new lease of life for me and I enjoyed 18 months which I believe were the best of my career. We got to the play-offs and we really should have achieved promotion that year.

“The most memorable match during my second spell at the club was the first game after Iain had left. John Sheridan had taken control and we played QPR who were top of the league at that time.

“We were at home and went one down until Ernie Cooksey equalised then I managed to get the winner in the 85th minute.

“It gave everyone a lift, including the fans.”

Eyre played under both Royle and Dowie and holds both in high esteem in their hugely contrasting styles.

“Iain was superb at man-management and coaching out on the training ground, but Joe was great in a different way. He didn’t do much coaching but had an incredible aura about him because of what he’d achieved in the game.”