Reaching the Premier League as a footballer is the pinnacle of their career and the aspiration of millions. But while it’s a lucrative job, it’s not one with much longevity, since most players retire in their mid- to late-thirties. What next? Some go into coaching, others embrace the media spotlight for a punditry gig… but there are plenty who diversify into other sports.

Horse Racing is top of that pile. As well as buying and training racehorses, there are many former PL stars who simply visit the bookies to sniff out the best odds on horses and lay a flutter or two. Below, we’ve listed a handful of some familiar faces from Premier League yesteryear who are having the time of their lives in the world of Horse Racing today.

Michael Owen

Since hanging up his shooting boots in 2013, Michael Owen has forged a very successful career in horse racing. He has built his own stables and training ground covering a 174-acre estate, out of which renowned trainer Tom Dascombe operates. To date, Owen’s biggest success story has been Brown Panther, who was bred by the ex-Liverpool, Real Madrid and Man Utd star and has claimed a plethora of trophies, including the Dubai Gold Cup and the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Ian Wright

Arsenal legend Ian Wright is now a regular feature on Match of the Day, but he has still found time to invest in the horse racing syndicate Crown Racing Partnership. The syndicate is owner of Born to Finish, a highly successful horse which has 10 first place finishes to his name, including an impressive three wins in 12 days in early 2015. “It’s my first go at ownership and I’m in the group with people and it’s really nice when you’re with everybody,” said Wright at the time. “They’re all so excited about it because we all have a little piece of him. A hat trick of wins was unbelievable.”

Wayne Rooney

As joint top scorer for England of all time (53 goals in 120 appearances), Wayne Rooney’s legendary status in football is certainly secured. Sadly, the same is not yet true in the world of horse racing, despite having pumped hundreds of thousands of pounds into the sport. Rooney has owned at least three horses to date, but decided to retire his first two (Switcharooney and Pippy) after they managed just one win in 23 starts. His latest acquisition, Announcement, is co-owned with ex-teammates Jonny Evans, John O’Shea and Michael Carrick, but hasn’t set the world alight either – and actually was treated by a horse whisperer in 2014 for anger management issues.

Claudio Pizarro

Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro was something of a forgotten man at Chelsea, making just 21 appearances and scoring two goals for the Blues in two years at Stamford Bridge. He was, however, far more successful in horse racing terms. After winning the Oh So Sharp Stakes shortly after Pizarro’s arrival and acquisition in 2007, filly Raymi Coya also won the Listed Michael Seely Memorial in 2008. He has owned a string of other horses, often with other footballers, including Crying Lightning (Joey Barton) and Thebeautifulgame (Thomas Muller and Alvaro Odriozola).

Which sport do you prefer, football or horse racing? For these stars, there’s little to choose between them it seems!

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