Table of Contents
- Retirement Announcement
- Career Shift to Photography
- Personal Reflections on Football
- Future Aspirations
A former Tottenham Europa League champion has quietly retired from professional football this summer to pursue a career in photography.
The 27-year-old goalkeeper found himself lower down the hierarchy at Tottenham, often being the third, fourth, or even fifth choice for the position.
Former Tottenham goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman has embarked on a new career as a photographer after retiring from football.Credit: Instagram @alfie_whiteman
The decision to retire came just months after he celebrated winning the Europa League with Spurs.Credit: Getty
With limited opportunities to play for his boyhood club—located just two minutes from his home—he redirected his focus toward other interests, including acting classes, hosting a radio show, and honing his photography skills.
The star, who joined Spurs at the age of 10, left the club as a free agent this summer after making just one appearance for the senior team, which was a second-half substitute appearance in 2021.
He garnered interest from clubs at higher levels, receiving a six-month contract offer to serve as a backup goalkeeper and undergoing a trial with another team that ultimately couldn't provide a deal due to financial constraints.
However, instead of pursuing a career in football, Alfie Whiteman chose to retire from the sport.
This decision, made shortly after winning the Europa League with Spurs in Bilbao against Manchester United, has led to a unique transition into photography.
Whiteman has signed on as a photographer with Somesuch, a global production company with offices in various locations, known for producing Aneil Karia’s ‘The Long Goodbye,’ which won the 2022 Oscar for Best Live Action Short.
In an interview with The Athletic, he reflected: “I signed with Spurs at 10 years old. Then I left school at 16 to fully commit to this life. Around 17 or 18, while living in digs, I began to question, ‘Is this it?’
“Taking the mini bus to training, studying for a Sports Science BTEC (he also completed an A Level in Economics), and then going home to play video games led me to realize, ‘I’m not happy here’ from a young age.
“The stereotype of a footballer holds some truth. It’s all about golf and washbag culture. I was that young player, wanting the Gucci washbag and driving a Mercedes.
“You become a reflection of those around you. You’re shaped by your environment. Football culture in this country is very insular; you go to training, then you go home, and that’s all.
“I always felt a bit different. My teammates, with whom I got along well, called me a hippie—that was their term for me. But then, at 18, I met my ex-girlfriend, a model.
“She was older than me, and her best friend was a director. This opened my eyes to the broader possibilities of life.
“As I grew older, around 18 or 19, I started meeting new people and learning more about myself, gaining perspective on the football bubble that is so self-contained.”
Whiteman added: “Football is a short-lived career, even for those who excel, and I knew I didn’t want to remain in it.
“It was about gaining experience and being proactive in exploring my interests, primarily because I enjoyed it and was surrounded by people who were pursuing their passions professionally.
“They were creating things, which was incredibly inspiring.”
Whiteman expressed that he found the lack of control over his football career ‘frustrating’.Credit: Getty
Whiteman aims to be at the 2026 World Cup.Credit: Instagram @alfie_whiteman
He made just one appearance for Tottenham, as a substitute in the Europa League in 2021.Credit: Getty
Whiteman described the lack of control over his football career as “frustrating,” recounting how a request to go on loan in 2024, after recovering from an
