“It’s been a whirlwind, to be honest,” says Ben Richards-Everton after forced retirement due to consistent knee problems.
The 34-year-old joined Gloucester City at the start of the 2024-25 season but faced recurring injury struggles.
“It’s been quite emotional for the first couple of weeks; I’m just starting to come to terms with it, and I’m seeing the benefits on my body.”
Ex-footballers often tend to miss the routine and the matchday feeling, and Richards-Everton explained the impact this has had on him.
“There are elements I do miss about playing that Saturday feeling; it’s emotional. But I keep up to date with the results, and we’re doing really well. I’ve come to appreciate the finer things in life, like spending time with my children.”
Richards–Everton recalls the exact moment he knew he’d be forced to hang up his boots.
“The injury has been ongoing for the past three seasons. It started when I left Barnet, but the manager didn’t want me at the time. Whilst I was waiting for a new club, stupidly I went to play five-a-side. I was scissor-kicked. I heard the click; adrenaline got me through the rest of the game. I told Dafydd Williams (Gloucester City manager) at the start, and unfortunately, I knew I couldn’t continue anymore.”
Richards-Everton was often described by teammates as a dedicated team leader, but the ex-professional explained his commitment and how the injury interfered with his daily routine.
“I was so dedicated even when I was part-time. I do everything right off the pitch to be able to play on Monday, Saturday, Tuesday, and so forth. That side was good, but I think the rest comes with being a footballer. There are loads of things I miss.”
The former Bradford City and Scunthorpe United man spoke on his time at the respective clubs and described how he grew as a footballer.
“I have got a lot of time for those clubs. I remember picking up this injury whilst at Yeovil; I was there for two and a half years. I was quietly managing it behind the scenes whilst trying to play lots of games, including the cup games too.”
The experienced centre-half provided an insight into the pre-season and began to feel the injury that haunted him.
“I was excited; I had a good pre-season. I was super excited for the start of the season, and I just broke down literally during the training session before our first game of the season, and that’s why I was out for a period of time. I just couldn’t get going from there. My knee was sore; it’d blown up in training, but I wanted to play.”
The seasoned ex-Walsall man ended his playing career at Gloucester and has several business interests; he has yet to decide whether coaching will be part of his future endeavours.
Gloucester City travel to Berkhamsted on Saturday to continue their promotion bid.
