In this fourth instalment of our mini-series revealing the former lives of professionals operating across the protection and health sectors, Joe Riley, protection specialist at Sports Financial Services (pictured left and with Cristiano Ronaldo above as a child), speaks to Health & Protection about coming through the Manchester United Academy, making his debut in the FA Cup, and why Sir Alex Ferguson created a culture at the club where nobody felt any more important than anyone else.
Signing aged five
“I was at United from five years old,” Riley tells Health & Protection, adding that he was scouted alongside Napoli and Scotland superstar Scott McTominay.
“He was at his local team and I was at a team in Lytham St Annes where I grew up,” Riley reveals.
“We both got scouted, but at five years old, you’re at development centres so it’s not intense. It’s just a group of good young players that all come together and do some training.”
Making his debut
Reflecting on highlights of his career, Riley, quite naturally, points to his debut.
“Working your way through the ranks and finally getting the shout to say, ‘yep Joe, you’re coming on the pitch’ and then starting the game was the dream for any young football player really,” Riley continues,
That debut would come under Louis van Gaal in the FA Cup back in 2016.
“The week before we had an Europa League game against FC Midtjylland, which is a Danish team,” Riley reflects.
“I got asked to travel with the squad. Even that was huge for me. I didn’t come on, but then the following week we had an FA Cup game against Shrewsbury. We weren’t doing well and then at half time the gaffer just turned to the bench where I was and said, ‘Joe, get ready. You’re going on’.
“So I came on, played really well and then the following week started the second leg in the Europa League against FC Midtjylland at Old Trafford.”
Leaving Old Trafford
But a desire to secure first team football would eventually see Riley leave Old Trafford.
“I was the captain of the U23 reserve side at United and I was training with the first team under Jose Mourinho,” Riley continues.
“But there was never a point where I felt I was going to play in the first team, so there came a point where I thought I needed to spread my wings and back myself to go have a career in the first team somewhere else, so that’s what I chose to do.”
Bradford bound
That ‘somewhere else’ would prove to be Bradford City in League One.
“We were favourites to get promoted to the Championship that year,” Riley reveals.
“I went in as the starting player in my position and then I just thought, you know what? This is what I’ll do. They’d been trying to get me for a couple of years really, so I thought let’s give this a go.”
Going semi-pro
Today, Riley still plays football, but combines this with an altogether different career, kicking off with Gameplan Financial as a protection specialist.
“I’m playing for Warrington Rylands now,” he says. “I’m playing semi-pro football. I was in the National League last year at Tamworth, but my protection career has really picked up.
“I moved to a new firm last year because Tamworth was the only part time club in the National League and I wanted to go part time because I really wanted to give this a go.”
Initially working remotely, Riley has since moved to Sports Financial where he advises on life insurance, critical illness, income protection, business protection and injury insurance.
“They said, come in,” he continues. “It’s in Manchester. Come into the office. Pick up where you left off. They said they think they will be able to help me. So I did that and then I got National League side Tamworth who are part time and it worked hand in hand.”
Protection career picking up
Though all of the travel for work and football would eventually catch up with Riley just as his protection career was picking up.
“I just thought I’m going to concentrate more on life after football: protection. I am going to my wealth management exams as well. And then I’ve signed for Warrington Rylands as well which is non-league, semi pro. But it’s close to my home and it’s a good standard. People don’t realise the standard, but it is very good.”
Lessons from Sir Alex
And while the spheres of football and protection may seem different, Riley reflects that there were some really important lessons that he carries through into his daily working life.
“Being at Man Utd, you are grounded the whole way through,” Riley reveals. “I had to wear black boots throughout the whole of my academy year, just so we stayed humble, stayed the same, so that discipline was massive throughout my time at United.
“Also, being young at having to do interviews is stuff that helps you when you have to speak to clients. Get me in the room with the client, I’m hopefully going to be able to give them peace of mind with the protection that I’m offering and make it very clear so they know that the cover that they’re getting, they know exactly what it is.”
Most of my clients are footballers
Indeed, Riley maintains that he does not think he would be in protection were it not for his time playing the beautiful game.
“I don’t think I’d be able to do this if I didn’t have my career in football – 70% of my clients are football players,” he continues.
“It was not so much the manager. I was more just the culture at that club. It may have changed now, but when Sir Alex Ferguson was there, you can imagine, he created this culture where no one is better than anyone. We all dig in for each other.
“It’s a big family essentially and everybody keeps that humble mentality and that’s something I’ve kept throughout my life.
“And that idea of nobody is better than anybody is something you take into your life, because the moment I had to leave United, you realise you have to put your pride aside, that you’re no longer known as that football man. There’s so much more to you in life than just being a football player.
“I think Man United was big for that because they made you realise you’re not bigger or better than anybody else, so when your football career does end, you’ve got to be able to look past that and realise people don’t even care about you being a football player. There is more to you than that.”
Confidence in Carrick
As for how his former club will fare this season, Riley is confident current coach Michael Carrick will turn around an indifferent start to the season.
“I still follow United,” Riley says. “I still speak to some of the boys. Not so much the ones that are still there. A lot of my pals who I grew up with, and lived with, have moved on to different clubs, still in the Premier League and Championship. I grew up with a lot of people like Marcus [Rashford] who’s still there. It’s good to see boys you grew up with are doing well.
“How do I think they’ll do? Hopefully well. We’ve not started the best, but I think you can’t look past what Carra’s [Michael Carrick] done with the squad when he came in, and they’ll be looking to get back to that soon.”