Former Sunderland goalkeeper Kelechi Chibueze has opened up on his new sales career after retiring aged just 22
Former Sunderland goalkeeper Kelechi Chibueze has opened up on his transition into a sales career in London after retiring from professional football at the age of just 22.
The former Chelsea and Leicester City academy prospect spent two years on Wearside, representing Sunderland’s under-21 side and training regularly with the first-team group.
Chibueze left the Stadium of Light at the end of the 2024-25 campaign before deciding to step away from competitive football following a frustrating search for a new club. He is now working as a sales development representative at CrowdStrike and believes the resilience and competitive drive developed during his football career have helped him adapt to life in the corporate world.
“The transition was difficult initially because football is so physical and you are out on the grass every day. It has been around three or four months since I made the decision. The good thing now is that there are organisations and people you can speak to who help footballers navigate their exit from the game and move into their next chapter.
“A lot of people told me that sales was a good career for sportspeople because you have that competitive drive, resilience and discipline. I am working in sales now, and all those things people said would help footballers move into that career are coming through. It has not been a crazy transition into the corporate world. Sales is a game of dealing with rejection and continuing until somebody says yes. It has not been too difficult to adapt to, and I am really enjoying it.”
Chibueze has considered combining his full-time role with non-league football but does not currently believe he retains the passion required to balance both commitments. I have thought about it, but working from nine to five and then playing non-league football is really difficult. I really commend the people who do it because you can have a long day at work and then have to go to training and switch on again.
“That year at Leicester made me lose a lot of my passion and drive for football. To balance non-league football with a job, you really need that passion and drive, and I cannot find that in myself anymore. In terms of playing competitively, I do not think I will. I am starting to get back into playing with my friends, though.”
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Chibueze’s move into sales followed a career spent inside three prominent academy systems. The London-born goalkeeper began at Chelsea before continuing his development with Leicester City and joining Sunderland in November 2023. He also represented England at under-16 level, earning five caps, and is eligible to represent Nigeria through his heritage.
He made 14 Premier League 2 starts across two seasons for Sunderland, including 13 during the 2024-25 campaign, while regularly training with the senior squad under Régis Le Bris. Chibueze’s playing career officially ended in July 2025, leaving him to transfer the discipline and resilience developed within elite academy football into a very different working environment.