Whites defender Kip Colvey announces retirement in football shock

All Whites defender Kip Colvey left professional football after losing his love of football at age 24.

The international 15 cap. Announced that he would retire at the expiry of his current contract with the Colorado Rapids on January 1 after failing to extend his 12-month contract with Major League Soccer .

Colvey said many factors motivated his shocked decision to hang up his shoes just three years after a promising career. Things he lost his passion for the sport and wants to pursue another job with greater financial security in the long run.

"I know it may seem a little stale that I'm giving up some opportunities that some people might give a lot, but that's just not making financial sense to me and that's the main reason, but there are many reasons if I am brutally honest, "he said.

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While other MLS players have salaries of several million dollars, Colvey was one of the least generous with 67,500 USD (99,450 USD) and his three seasons were largely spent on the margins.

He will now pursue a completely different career as a doctor's assistant and plan to spend the next four years studying at a Denver university in order to achieve this goal.

"Football has been great, especially for the national team and for being able to travel the world and participate in pretty special matches, but my financial future has not brought me the financial security I was looking for.

"It's been 10-12 years since football slowed me down and I do not think it will give me the lifestyle I want to have."

Born in Hawaii and raised in the Marlborough Sounds, Colvey represented New Zealand at the under-17 and under-23 level before making his All Whites debut against Fiji in 2016.

He has devoted much of his life to the sport to realize his dream of professional footballer. He then moved to Nelson and Christchurch before returning to the United States after earning a fellowship at California Polytechnic State University.

After a few great seasons with Cal Poly, Colvey finally joined the ranks of the professionals when he was selected and signed by San Jose Earthquakes. He made his MLS debut at the opening game of the 2016 season with his family proudly watching in the stands.

A call to the All Whites followed the rapid rise of Colvey who represented his country 15 times. His biggest games were against Russia in the Confederations Cup and in the two World Cup qualifiers against Peru.

"It will be hard to know I'm going when I could have had more caps, but that's part of the decision I've made.

"I'm really looking forward to enjoying other parts of my life because I've been playing so much since I was in high school, and even though I've only been professional for a few years, he's been to full time for me a lot more than that. "

Although he is proud of his achievements on the international scene, Colvey did not hide his disappointment by recalling the limited contributions he had made to the club level. With just seven appearances in three seasons in San Jose and Colorado, Colvey has never managed to establish in MLS and has been regularly loaned to second division clubs, the United Soccer League.

Colvey said that he could foresee a future conflict between the MLS and the USL if he was to continue playing football for a living and that he had moved so much during his youth that He was ready to settle down.

"Sometimes I felt that I did not like the game as much as I did before, and that's another factor that's close to my heart." Clearly, my contract being denied by the Rapids, I think it's probably a deal with the USL or doing some testing with another team somewhere, "he says.

"What I have to do to get to where I want to be in football can take a few years and even then there is no guarantee that I'll be able to do it at the end. should give up other things in my life that I do not want to give up now and I should probably move out again.

"There are players who will stay in a club for a long time, like Andrew Durante and other MLS players, they have decent contracts and that's really good for them." But I'm not of those who have proven themselves in MLS or in another league so that clubs can not afford to offer big contracts guaranteed for several years, unless I become one of these types, I would be one year, semi-guaranteed in MLS or one year in USL.

"But beyond this year, you do not know where you'll be unless you play week after week and you're doing really well, I can not plan for the future because I do not know where you're going. all where I am will be next year and that's one thing that people do not see that side. "