Jonathan Liew’s piece on the end of his football career struck a chord, or perhaps a tendon (Some guts, no glory: end of my amateur football career brings painful realisation, 20 May). His comment that top players can count on “trophies and triumphs, medals and memories” is true for a few. But for most of us who’ve played team sports, wins may come yet trophies rarely do.
Many revered professionals, though well-paid and regularly picked, retire without silverware. Does that diminish their sporting life? I don’t think so, but perhaps they do. I’m pleased for Harry Kane that he’s finally in a team that’s won something meaningful, as I was when my own team, West Ham, lifted the Uefa Conference League trophy in 2023. A winner is a winner, at whatever level, and they can all eventually retire having won at least one competition.
