Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Willian announces plans for career change
FULHAM star Willian has revealed he wants to become a football agent when he eventually retires, not a coach.
Willian, 35, has been around the block having spent seven succesful seasons with Chelsea before making the shock decision to move to Arsenal in 2020.
When things were not working out as planned he returned to boyhood club Corinthians in Brazil, only to do a U turn a year later.
Back in his old stomping ground of South West London Willian has become a vital cog in Marco Silva’s game and very much a fan favourite amongst the Cottagers.
The Fulham star told The Telegraph his plans to become a football agent in the future were mainly driven by a desire to help and ‘put something back’ to football.
But first, he reckons there is more football to be played and wants to remain at Fulham next season.
Contrary to reports, the Brazilian disclosed his current deal ‘is just one year’ and does not have the option for another season – but he is happy to wait until summer to find out what the future holds.
Modestly, he said: “I don’t know if they want me to stay!”
“We are going to decide at the end of the season.
“Now, I just want to be focused on playing well and training well and giving my best to the club.
“Then we will see what we can do, what we are going to do.”
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It seems likely Fulham will want him to stay given his talent but even if they don’t, Willian revealed the last things he wants is to retire.
He said: “Yes, I am coming to the end of my career. I think I maybe have four, five years to play.”
“Everyone says to me ‘how’s it possible that you are 35? You can’t be!’ It’s good to hear that.”
Going on to reveal the secret to his longevity he jokingly said: “The most important thing is sleep!”
Going on to spill the beans on his swift departure from the Gunners, he said: “When I left Arsenal everyone knows it was not good. It was a difficult year for me.”
“I decided to leave and, at that time, I still had two more years contract and I just said to them ‘listen, let’s break the contract.
“It has not worked the way we wanted. I will go somewhere else and I will continue to play football’.
“I turned the situation around and, now, three years later I am at this club, enjoying myself. It’s an amazing club, to be honest.”
He went on and said: “People were saying to me ‘you are crazy, you cannot give up this kind of money’.
“They were saying ‘any other player in your position would never do that. They would sit on the contract and collect the money’. Stuff like that.
“But I don’t think about money. I know money is important, for sure. But it’s not the first thing in my life.
“For me, God first. Then my family, then football. Then the other things. But I wasn’t happy so that’s why I decided to leave.”