In a world in which three footballers; Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar earn in excess of £70 million a year, and the average wage in the Premier League is close to £60,000 a week, some people may be surprised to discover how many professional footballers experience financial difficulties.

Two out of every five football / soccer players go bankrupt in retirement, often suffering from mounting debts, a huge drop off in income, and the emotional difficulties that come with leave the sport behind. From poor financial education and money management, to the challenge of finding a new career before the age of 40, HITC Sevens takes a look at some of the most common causes of economic hardship among footballers.