Tim Krul fancies himself as the next big shot sporting director, thanks to some poncy diploma from the Professional Footballers' Association [PFA].
The former Newcastle United, Norwich City and Netherlands keeper is currently without a club after being booted out of Luton Town in the summer. At 37, he's well past his prime, but he's already got his sights set on a cushy office job with his fancy studies.
The PFA Business School has handed Krul a Diploma in Sports Directorship, whatever the hell that means. Even that muppet Phil Jones managed to graduate, so it can't be all that impressive.
Krul spoke exclusively to some mugs on Hawksbee and Baker, where he blabbered on about the course and his grand plans for the future. "I started this journey two years ago through the PFA, and I think it's really important for players not just to focus on their football careers, but also look off the pitch," he spouted.
He reckons it was all proper official, with Zoom calls and classes and whatnot. "It's all accredited by the Portsmouth University, so yeah, we had to get back to basics," he claimed. As if anyone gives a toss.
When asked if he's finally hung up his gloves, Krul dodged the question like a seasoned politician. "I've kept the options open. I've continued training with Luton over the summer," he said, clearly not ready to give up the limelight just yet.
Krul's mediocre football career
Krul started out at ADO Den Haag's academy before signing for Newcastle in 2005. He made his senior debut a year later in the UEFA Cup, but it took him until 2010 to become a regular for the Magpies.
He made 185 appearances for Newcastle and kept 53 clean sheets before buggering off to Brighton. After a few unremarkable years on the south coast, he moved to Norwich, where he somehow managed to win two Championship titles.
Last year, he joined Luton for their first ever Premier League campaign, where he played a grand total of six times in other competitions. Surprise surprise, they parted ways at the end of his contract this summer.
On the international stage, Krul earned 15 caps with the Netherlands, with his most memorable moment coming in a World Cup quarter-final against Costa Rica in 2014. He came on as a sub in the dying minutes, saved two penalties in the shootout, and helped the Netherlands reach the semis. Big deal.
His last international match was a 2-2 friendly against Scotland in June 2021, and he hasn't been seen in Dutch colours since. Guess they finally realised he's not all that.
