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Football as a sport demands a lot of dedication and hard work. Professional footballers hardly get any opportunity to pursue any other activity. But some players are an exception.Other than their football career, there are a few players have completed or are completing higher education. While some kept the educational degree as an alternative career option, others studied for the love of the particular subjet.Here's a list of 5 players who have an educational qualification or are currently pursuing an educational degree.
#1 Shaka Hislop
Shaka Hislop, the Trinidad & Tobago international goal-keeper, played club football in England. This former goal-keeper played more than 450 Premier League games and is currently working as an analyst for ESPN.
But the most interesting part of Hislop’s story is that he is a mechanical engineer and had previously interned at NASA! Not many footballers can boast of that.
#2 Juan Mata
Manchester United’s Juan Mata is a graduate in journalism from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. He is currently pursuing two degrees, one in marketing and the other one in sports science.
FIFA.com had asked Mata about how he managed to mix education with football, to which the Spaniard replied, “It’s difficult but not impossible. I like the world of marketing, publicity and new technology. There’s no reason why playing football can’t be compatible with those things.”
#3 Simon Mignolet
Liverpool and Belgium international goal-keeper, Simon Mignolet, graduated with a degree in Political Science.
When he arrived in England to play for Sunderland, one of his conditions in the transfer negotiations was to gather information about places where he could complete his degree.
According to Daily Mail, Mignolet mentioned, “When I started playing, my parents told me to go to university. They just said choose wisely and find something you can combine with training. It was to have something behind me in case something went wrong.”
#4 Andres Iniesta
Everyone knows that Spain and Barcelona midfielder, Andres Iniesta is a terrific footballer with a blend of impeccable skills and intelligence.
But it will come as a surprise to everyone that he is a student of Biology and is pursuing Sports Science at University.
#5 Glen Johnson
In 2012, Liverpool and England right-back, Glen Johnson had revealed that he was studying for a degree in Mathematics and that he used to dedicate two hours a day for studying.
