Footballers are not only some of the most skillful and gifted athletes in the world but some of the smartest and brightest minds you can find anywhere. After retirement, some ex-players engage in various activities and professions widely, ranging from law practice, journalism, sports administration, or even politics. It’s not too common to find many soccer players who are doctors, but today we will be profiling a few prominent examples.
This brief list will include soccer players who are or were doctors while or after playing soccer professionally.
1. Kenny Deuchar
Kenny Deuchar is a 42-year-old retired footballer who played most of his professional career in his native Scotland.
Deuchar was a striker during his playing days featuring for teams like Falkirk, St. Johnstone, Livingston, and Gretna, to mention a few.
At Gretna, he enjoyed his most prolific spell scoring 63 goals in 93 league appearances. He also played briefly in America for Major league soccer side Real Salt Lake in 2008.
Apart from football also holds the special distinction of being a practicing medical doctor. Kenny is a general medical practitioner in his native Scotland and is also married with children.
In 2011, Deuchar retired from the game, as he planned to gain the final qualifications he needed to become a doctor.
Like many soccer players who own restaurants, Kenny Deuchar runs two restaurants — the Wheelhouse restaurant, in Falkirk and the Boathouse restaurant in Kilsyth.
2. Nadia Nadim
Afghan-born Nadia is a female professional football player who represents the Danish female national team.
The 34-year-old striker has played 99 times for Denmark, with 38 goals to her name. She has featured for a plethora of club sides both in her home country Denmark and overseas.
However, she currently plays as a striker for National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club Racing Louisville FC.
Nadim has been on the books of IK Skovbakken, Fortuna Hjorring, Portland Thorns FC, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain, among many other soccer clubs.
She has also won various league titles playing in America, France, and England.
Nadia is also one of the few footballers in the world who is also a qualified doctor. She attended medical school on campus and remotely at Aarhus University based in Denmark.
In 2020, she was qualified enough to assist in surgeries before obtaining her final medical certification in January of this year.
3. Sócrates
The late great Brazilian midfielder was one of the best and most iconic players of his generation.
Socrates featured for the Brazilian national team between 1979-1986 with 22 goals in 60 appearances. He captained the exciting Brazilian team that featured at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
He was admired for his skill and technical ability, as well as his cool fashion look/hairstyles.
Socrates played and managed mostly in his native Brazil. Socrates is also famous for being a qualified physician.
He obtained his medical degree while still playing professionally at the medical school of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
In fact, because of his medical degree and intelligent style of play, he was given him the nickname “Doctor Socrates”.
After retirement, he would practice medicine in Ribeirao Preto until his death in 2011.
