Unai Emery faced a tough decision when he was just 32 years old.
Having played football his whole life, a knee injury forced the Spaniard to hang up his boots in his prime.
With his playing career cut short, Emery needed a new job but he only ever wanted to work within the sport - and that’s when a coaching opportunity emerged at former club Lorca Deportiva.
"Football is my life,” he explained. “It’s the profession I identify best with and I’m grateful for that.
“When I was a footballer, having managed to become a professional footballer, I began to think about what I wanted to do when it came to an end, partly because on a professional level I didn’t have many other ways to guarantee my future after 10 years as a professional footballer.
“I asked myself what I could do. What do I know? What do I like? I wanted to work in football in some respect, if I could. I put the work in and fortunately I’m able to do that now.
“I’m very grateful to football every day and I try to enjoy and convey everything I know and all my positivity towards this sport and this profession as best I can."
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