Henry Lansbury, the former Arsenal youth player, is on the verge of making a significant shift in his career. At 32 years old, he is contemplating retiring from professional football and pursuing a new adventure.
Lansbury progressed through Arsenal’s academy and managed to feature in the first team, although he played only eight matches.
Following his time at Arsenal, the midfielder enjoyed successful stints at Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, and Bristol City. He recently assisted Luton Town in securing promotion to the Premier League. However, the club released him a month ago, leading Lansbury to consider hanging up his football boots.
Despite the potential to find another team at his age, Lansbury has a different passion in mind. During the lockdowns amidst the coronavirus pandemic, he developed a love for gardening and maintaining football pitches. This newfound hobby has turned into a potential main pursuit for him.
Speaking with talkSPORT, Lansbury shared how his interest in this activity was sparked: “During the lockdown, I found myself at home with time on my hands. Gardening became a fascination, and I experimented with various artificial products to tend to the grass in my garden. My wife wasn’t thrilled about the artificial products as our children played there. She suggested using natural products, and that led to a brilliant idea with the help of friends,” said the former Arsenal player.
Lansbury has already worked on pitches at Fulham and Genk and is looking forward to his next venture in Monaco, France.
“I feel we’re headed in the right direction. Several smaller teams have already availed of our services, and I’m eager to support local teams that deserve quality playing surfaces. This venture started easily, and now I find myself fully engaged with the company throughout the day. It’s a huge relief. However, since my injury before the World Cup in Qatar, I haven’t been the same. My legs don’t feel as strong as before. While I can still train, it’s not the same. I’m torn between forcing my return to football or retiring while I’m on top. My wife prefers me to stay active, and caring for football pitches aligns perfectly with that,” he explained.
Lansbury’s football journey has been eventful. In 2012, when he was quite young, he had to take up the goalkeeper’s position during an official Championship match for West Ham. The team emerged victorious with a 4-1 win against Blackpool, even with one less outfield player due to his role as a stand-in goalkeeper.
