When Regan Stuart's playing career was brought to a premature end, he was still in his 20s with plenty of years to live ahead of him.
That end came after having only played topflight football with Manning Rangers – a club that had its fair share of money challenges before ultimately being declared bankrupt after their relegation in 2005.
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For Stuart, it meant finding a way to make ends meet.
"You have to swim your way through life after football and some don't make it," says Stuart.
"Since I stopped playing football due to injury I got into coaching in the Vodacom (ABC Motsepe League) at Durban Stars, ran coaching clinics, and did community service work.
"It was football one way with teacher education programmes along the way but as time goes by you realise that you need stability.
"So, I went on for a job training and today, I'm an artisan which was something that I had always wanted to do.
"However, with the talent that I had professional football became my first choice but now I'm back in my childhood passion.
"With this line of work, you learn on the job as they teach you the trade and that is what I have done.
"It is an exciting space because it was my childhood passion to be in this space.
"I have moved on to another chapter of my life and today I have no regrets about it because I'm living a stable life.
"I'm currently working, and it has been five years now in the South Coast.
"My artisan work is more on fabrication and welding.
"With some of us, we played for teams that didn't have the financial muscle, so we didn't make money.
"Some of us took the knocks for the new generation to come in terms of money but I'm happy about it because my son could benefit.
"With the position I played and what I was doing out on the left wing compared to what the current players are doing, I think I could have made a killing now.
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"I played in a team where I had to put in the crosses because we had George Koumantarakis, Gilbert Mushangazhike, Kearyn Jordan, Jabulani Ndwendwe, Simon Makhubela all the way to Dale Studzinski but you don't see that now.
"If I was in the game today, I would have made money," says Stuart.