Izaguirre has his eyes set on becoming a pastor

There have been some unusual professions that footballers have taken up following their retirements from professional football.

Thomas Gravesen has become a proper investor and kingpin in Las Vegas, ex-Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has become a co-owner of the first company in the world to mass produce levulinic acid, which is vital in finding plant-based alternatives to food, and ex-Celtic left back Emilio Izaguirre is going to become, well…a pastor.

Izaguirre, who regularly played at full-back in the most dominant Celtic period of all time before the rise of Kieran Tierney, is currently playing for Marathon in his home nation of Honduras; but, at the age of 35, it won’t be long before he hangs up his boots to become a minister for the churches.

Having played for a club that was founded over helping the younger, underprivileged members of its society, Izaguirre seems to have taken the founding morals of Brother Walfrid by claiming he wants to help the younger generation of people by becoming a disciple of God.

In a revealing interview with The Daily Record, Izaguirre claims he never drank with any of the Celtic squad after a game, despite some of players ribbing him by claiming that ‘not drinking was a sin.’ No prizes for guessing which player probably told him that, though…

Being a pastor is a complex term because it can be misinterpreted. I want to help young people and I want to be a disciple of God. I want to lead by example and help them as others helped me and be successful in following God.

I try to be disciplined and I learned that when I was in Europe with Celtic. My teammates there would hold parties every month and would drink. They told me it was a sin not to drink. But I maintained my discipline and gained respect from my teammates and the fans who understood that I would never have a beer with them. 

When we went to Dubai, they would go and party and I would go and see my wife and children instead because my family are the greatest blessing and that’s all because of God.

It isn’t often you see players not drinking given the stress they put themselves under to perform for many fans. But, for Izaguirre, football isn’t life and death. After growing up and having to witness many of his friends succumbing to violence by paying the ultimate price of death, Izaguirre understands football is incredibly insignificant in comparison.