Danny Simpson has indicated he left Bristol City over his frustration at a lack of first-team opportunities as the experienced right-back has opened up on the mental struggles of trying to find a new club in the latter stages of his career.
Simpson departed City “by mutual consent” in March, three months before the end of his second one-year contract at the club. The full-back had been Nigel Pearson’s first signing 12 months prior to that, as he was brought to club as part-player/part first-team mentor but was never able to make a sustained impact on the starting XI with just eight appearances during his stay in the West County.
When he left City it had been five months since his previous game, a 3-0 defeat at West Brom, and Simpson remains without a club and in a far-reaching interview with the Manchester Evening News has discussed the difficulties and obstacles out-of-work professionals face.
"You get to a point when you’re 34 or 35 and you want to play. It doesn’t matter who are you, look at Ronaldo now, he’s 37," Simpson told the MEN. "Some people are happy sitting on the bench at a club and some people aren't and that’s me.
"Nigel is a top man and it just didn’t work. It’s difficult because I know I can still play, I haven’t actually retired. I'll know when the time is right, but I’ll give it to January and make the right calls. You can’t just sit around waiting forever."
Simpson was picked up by City having been without a club for nine months and had been training by himself and with former club Leicester City, with the 35-year-old now in the same boat as he tries to retain a sense of self-motivation to find a new employer.
He continues to train in isolation, as well as trying to build experience in media with work for Premier League Productions and talkSPORT, but has spoken of a lack of a support network, either by former clubs, or the various governing bodies.
"It’s hard, but even more so when you have a week off and you don’t do it," Simpson added, having made 428 appearances across a 15-year professional career for Manchester United, Newcastle United and Leicester City. "I’ve been to the gym this morning and I know I'll feel ready to attack the day after the session, but then when you’re on your own, it’s very difficult.
"I saw all my friends go back to their clubs in the summer and it affects you mentally. When you see them back in training, I didn’t even want to go on my Instagram because I was sick and tired. I know it sounds bad but I couldn’t like their pictures.
"I was struggling mentally and there wasn’t much help. I was lucky because eventually I grew a pair of balls and rang Leicester and I asked whether I could come back in and train and they let me, but some people don’t have that relationship with clubs.
"I’ve got a WhatsApp group, some who are ex-players and some who haven't retired, and our mates ring each other every other day just to keep each other going, to see they are getting on because we’re all in the same boat.
"We don’t know what to do. I try to do my punditry and my radio, but it doesn't happen overnight. It’s a crazy transition and some that finish football will get a divorce, they might be gambling or drinking, a lot of stuff goes on that people don’t really know about.
"Our phones should be ringing. Some people might not have great friends or good relationships with their families, they might not have wives or kids, and they might know what they’re doing. The only thing that keeps me going is my little girl.
"I want to keep training and I don’t want to fall back into that place. I just think there could be programmes in place, or even courtesy calls, just to check where people are in life. It’s not on the clubs that have released you, that club will continue.”
Simpson claims to have raised his concerns with the Premier League to put a more organised programme in place to help free agents find new clubs by introducing a standardised fitness database.
“I think mentally and physically when you stop getting paid and you stop having a routine, it’s dangerous," Simpson said. "I've highlighted the problems to the Premier League and they think it's a really good idea to address it.
"They liked the idea that there should be like a sports academy or a set up where out-of-contract players, of all ages, can go to these training camps, as those players can get together, stay fit and have a record of the work they've been doing.
"Then when you find a club, they can ask what have you been doing to keep fit and you can say 'yeah, the training camp'. Now, clubs ring me and say what are you doing, and I say 'yeah I go to the gym every day and play football', but there’s no proof.”
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