Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard confirms drastic career change | OneFootball

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard has confirmed he has taken up a position with global investment bank UBS.

United announced the signing of Lindegaard in November 2010 from Norwegian club Aelesund.

He spent five years at Old Trafford but struggled to secure a starting spot, caught between the tail end of Edwin van der Sar’s United career and the rise of David de Gea.

Lindegaard made a total of 29 appearances for the Red Devils, most of which came during Sir Alex Ferguson’s last campaign at the club. The shot-stopper played 10 games that term as United won the Premier League title.

David Moyes’ arrival spelt the end of Lindegaard’s United spell and he left in August 2015, joining West Bromwich Albion. Things didn’t work out too well with the Baggies and he only spent half a season there. A switch to Preston North End followed before he joined Burnley.

The 40-year-old then signed for Swedish side Helsingborgs IF in August 2019 and spent the final three years of his career at Di Röe.

Two years after he announced his retirement from professional football, Lindegaard has now confirmed he has embarked on a new career in banking, securing a role as a business developer at UBS.

The Dane said (via The Sun), “New beginnings, new job, new career.”

“My role is to help the bank better understand successful athletes, and provide them with meaningful and valuable service from the leading asset manager.”

“I will always be an athlete by nature. Helping other athletes navigate through their sports adventures seems both natural and meaningful to me. In that way I see myself and my role as being employed by UBS, but I work for the athletes.”

“For me personally this is the start of a different career. I always wanted to stay in football, but I didn’t want to work on the pitch.”

“I’ve been doing this all my life, and now I think it’s time to try something new. It’s not easy to retire from professional sports. It is undoubtedly a high-risk moment in every athlete’s life.”

He added, “I am proud to have made what for me is a successful transition. And I’m relieved that I have developed Anders Lindegaard 2.0.”