Real journeys.
New chapters.
See how athletes have turned uncertainty into confidence and life after sport into new beginnings – with Crossover Partners guiding every step.
Our Impact
Together, we're changing lives
Join us in creating new chapters. At Crossover Partners, we help athletes turn uncertainty into confidence and build meaningful careers after sport – while giving businesses access to driven, resilient talent. Together, we're changing lives, one successful journey at a time.
Ready to begin your next chapter?
You've already done the hard part – building the winning mindset. Now let's put it to work.
Inspiring journeys beyond sport
Discover the remarkable journeys of athletes who've built new careers after sport. With the right support, every ending becomes a new beginning – and every journey is proof of what's possible beyond the game.
Ade Azeez
As a former pro and now semi-pro footballer, I’ve always thrived in competitive, high-performance environments. But like many athletes, I been asking myself what’s next after football. I have been doing a 9–5 alongside playing, but it hasn’t given me the fulfilment or long-term potential I’m after. I want a long career where my hard work is rewarded financially and where there is internal growth within a company.
That’s why Crossover Partners stood out. With real experience in both sport and recruitment, plus hands-on support, they help athletes like me transition into a career that fits our mindset. It’s a great concept that’ll open doors for so many others too.
– Ex-Professional Football Player – Charlton Athletic, Partick Thistle, Cambridge United & Newport County
Egli Kaja
Transitioning from professional sports to a 'normal job' is extremely tough. You put your heart and soul into becoming a professional athlete which leaves little room for gaining experience in other industries and also education. Unfortunately, my professional football career was cut short due to persistent injuries and then the final blow, and ACL rupture. I decided to look for new opportunities but struggled. After my surgery in 2024 I applied to hundreds of jobs and kept getting rejected. I kept persisting, I knew I had skills and experience that I could transfer into a new industry. I was fortunate that I started a Real Estate & Management degree 4 years ago which gave me something to add to my CV, I also did two finance courses over the summer to bolster my CV. I landed a Consultant project manager position at Business Critical Solutions (BCS) after hundreds of rejections, I actually used those rejections to show how persistent I can be.
I think it's so important for all athletes to have a backup plan, to educate yourself whilst you're still playing and finally to work with someone like Crossover Partners who can assist and guide you when making that difficult to transition. You don't need to go through this whole process by yourself, use help from experts who have been and done what you're going through, it will make the process of transitioning 100 times easier!
– Ex-Professional Football Player– AFC Wimbledon, Northampton Town, Livingston & Altrincham
Joshua Payne
As a top athlete, you’re trained to give 110%, so much so that you often bury your head in the sand about what comes after. For me, the transition out of sport was incredibly tough. All my contacts were in the industry, I didn’t have a CV, and I had no idea how to make the last 15 years of hard work translate into something new or valuable. It felt incredibly lonely, like standing in a big open space with no direction. But with the support of Crossover Partners, I was able to start building a new path. They helped turn what could have been a really difficult time into a period of positive change and growth. A lot of people, of all different ages, coming out of sport will really benefit from this kind of support. It’s a game-changer when you need it most.
- Ex-Professional Football Player – West Ham United, Oxford United, Cheltenham Town, Aldershot Town & Woking FC
Andrew Barcham
After a career-ending injury at 32, I felt lost and uncertain about what came next. With the support of a friend and a company that helped me identify my transferable skills, I was able to pivot into finance. I realised that the leadership, resilience, and problem-solving I developed as a footballer were exactly what employers sought. Thanks to their guidance, I earned my CeMAP qualification and advanced from trainee to Training and Development Manager, proving that with the right support, athletes can thrive in any industry.
The most challenging parts were identifying my skills, building a CV, creating an online presence, and preparing for interviews. I recently spoke with my friend and former teammate, Alfie Egan, who’s passionate about helping ex-professionals through this journey. With the right guidance, athletes can unlock their full potential, just as I did with the support of those who believed in me.
– Ex-Professional Football Player – Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Leyton Orient, Gillingham & AFC Wimbledon
Louis Riddle
I spent over 13 years at West Ham United, joining the club at the age of 9 and remaining until I was 22 playing alongside the likes of Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson and Jermaine Defoe. Like many young players, I completely dedicated my life to football, with my sole focus on becoming a professional, but when I was released suddenly, with no notice and no support, the reality hit hard. It was a scary and uncertain time, highlighting a brutal truth about professional sport: the lack of meaningful support for athletes when their careers end abruptly. That moment became a turning point for me - I have always been a natural peoples person, often the joker in the room, a close friend suggested I would be well suited to recruitment. So, I took the advice, beginning my journey in the industry and spending six years at two firms before founding my own company, Nuco Solutions, in 2012. The qualities I gained from football were key - discipline, resilience, and a strong team ethic, they became the foundation of my success in recruitment, where building relationships and helping people find the right opportunities is at the heart of everything I do.
I truly believe deeply in the mission behind Alfie and the team at Crossover Partners. Having lived through the emotional and practical challenges of leaving professional sport, I see the platform as a vital and overdue bridge between the sporting and corporate worlds. Crossover Partners understands and champions the unique strengths athletes bring - from leadership to adaptability and helps guide them into fulfilling careers beyond the pitch. For me, this isn’t just business - it’s personal. I know the value of tailored, empathetic support during such a pivotal transition, so I know the impact this can have.
– Ex-Professional Football Player – West Ham United, Stevenage & Braintree
Seth Owen
Transitioning from a professional football career to a role as a Payments Officer at Harrow Council has been an incredibly rewarding journey. While football taught me discipline, teamwork, and resilience, I found a new sense of fulfilment in applying those skills to support our community through financial services.
I’ve seen firsthand the dedication and expertise Crossover partners brings to helping athletes find new career paths. Their understanding of both the sports world and corporate environments makes them uniquely qualified to guide players through this transition. I highly recommend their services!
– Ex-Semi & Professional Football Player – AFC Wimbledon, Farnborough & Leatherhead