Derby County youngster Morten Spencer has revealed he will be retiring from professional football due to a cardiac problem.
Derby County are a club well-versed in developing young players. A good chunk of their recent first-team stars first made names for themselves in the DCFC academy.
The reliance on youth players has eased somewhat since recovering from near financial ruin but there remains a clear pathway from the youth ranks to the senior side at Pride Park.
One player who joined last summer looking to follow that well-trodden path was Morten Spencer, who arrived following the expiry of his contract at Leeds United.
However, aged just 21, Derby County youngster Spencer has revealed he has had to make the tough call to hang up his boots.
Writing on Instagram, the former Norwegian youth international said that due to a cardiac problem, he will be retiring from the professional game. The DCFC prospect thanked all those who have played a role in his career and expressed pride in what he had achieved to date.
Among those to show their support for Spencer are QPR’s Harvey Vale, fellow Leeds United academy graduates Leif Davis and Max Dean, Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney and Derby County youth teammate Freddie Turley.
Calling time on a young career
Spencer hangs up his boots having found plenty of action at youth level for both Leeds United and Derby County.
He was limited to only since Premier League 2 outings with the Rams but managed 58 appearances for the Leeds U18s and U21s combined. He managed six goals and seven assists in 34 games for the former before notching a goal and an assist in 24 U21s games.
The retiring DCFC prospect, who was first in the Sunderland academy, also represented both England and Norway in youth football.
Staying in football?
Only time will tell what the future holds for Spencer but plenty of young footballers have stayed in the game after seeing either injury or health issues end their careers early.
Clubs often offer support for such players too, so Derby County may well offer the chance for the youngster to stay in an off-pitch role. Analyst roles and places coaching in youth football could build early foundations for a career in the dugout perhaps.
Among the top managers who never played professional football at a senior level are Julian Nagelsmann, Maurizio Sarri and on UK shores, the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Roy Hodgson.
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