- The driving instructor played 665 games for six clubs as a goalkeeper.
- He played for teams such as Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Chelsea and Leeds.
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A former Premier League star has swapped life on the pitch for a life away from home.
Former goalkeeper Neil Sullivan left the beautiful game in 2013 and recently landed a job as a driving instructor.
The player, now 54, made 665 appearances for six clubs during a 25-year career in which he played as a goalkeeper for two of the “big six” clubs: Chelsea and Tottenham.
However, despite his impressive career and portfolio, Sullivan will always be remembered for his involvement in two of the Premier League’s most iconic goals.
Sullivan revealed to The sun How he became a driving instructor after having dedicated his entire life to football.
Neil Sullivan (pictured) is a former Premier League goalkeeper who is now a driving instructor.
Neil Sullivan is a former goalkeeper who played for Wimbledon, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Chelsea, Leeds and Doncaster Rovers.
The former goalkeeper revealed that “the only thing he knew was football.”
“I“The only thing I had done successfully outside of gaming was teaching my kids to drive, so it seemed like the perfect thing to do,” he added.
‘I work for Learn Driving UK. I’ve been training for a year and only started working for real last month.
“It’s a very different world to what I’ve done in the past, but it’s incredibly satisfying to help people through and get them on the road.”
Before Sullivan switched career paths earlier this year, the former Premier League star worked as part of Leeds’ coaching staff and was then in charge of Hull’s Under-18s until 12 months ago.
As Sullivan begins his new adventure, some Manchester United fans may recognise him considering he was the goalkeeper David Beckham scored past on the halfway line at Selhurst Park in 1996.
That is not the only memorable goal the 54-year-old has been between the posts for, as he also failed to stop Paolo Di Canio’s sublime volley at West Ham in 2000.
On the two goals, he said: “That’s the life of a goalkeeper. Of all the games, saves that have led to the win, clean sheets and penalties saved, the two games that always come up are those of Becks and Di Canio.”
His time as a goalkeeper is remembered for being the man who positioned himself between the posts for David Beckham’s goal from midfield against Wimbledon.
Sullivan was in goal for Di Canio’s sublime volley at West Ham in 2000.
However, Sullivan’s goals weren’t all bad, as Beckham’s wonder goal earned him a call-up to the Scotland international squad.
Speaking about how Beckham’s goal benefited him, Sully said: ‘I did an interview with FourFourTwo magazine a few months after that goal and I talked about how my grandfather was Scottish.
‘Then I got a call from Scotland manager Craig Brown, who had read it or had been shown it by someone.
“I ended up playing 28 times for Scotland and went to the 1998 World Cup in France,” he added.
Sullivan began his professional career at the age of 16 after being spotted playing for the Merton Borough team.
Speaking about her journey through the ranks, she said: ‘It was a pretty good team and a lot of our games were at Plough Lane, where I ended up playing for Wimbledon.
‘We had a couple of players in that team who went on to enjoy careers in the game: Graham Stuart and Jason Cundy.
From there, Sully went on to make his debut for the Dons against Aston Villa in a 2–1 win in April 1991. However, he did not officially break into the starting line-up on a permanent basis until the 1994–95 season.
The player, now 54, began his playing career at Wimbledon.
He also played for Leeds United in the Championship.
The Scottish international later moved to Tottenham.
Speaking about his time at Spurs, Sullivan said: “When I arrived at White Hart Lane, someone took my car and parked it. I honestly thought it was being stolen. It was completely different to Wimbledon.”
After leaving White Hart Lane, he signed for another London team, this time Chelsea.
He spent a year with the west London side before signing for Leeds. Sullivan finished his career at League One side Doncaster.