A golden era has finally come to an end. It’s an era that can only really be named ‘The Joelon Lescott Era’, seeing as how it covers the period when the one and only Joleon Lescott operated as a footballer… of sorts.
We don’t remember seeing a press release or getting a telegram to announce that the former Wolves, Everton, Manchester City and Aston Villa (to name but a few) defender had hung up his boots, but it looks as though that’s the case as he is now comfortably ensconced in a new job.
Not the rigours of coaching or management for our Joleon – oh no, he’s going down a different post-playing path.
After drifting back to Manchester City, he’s now working as some kind of ‘loanee liason officer’, jetting around the globe and mentoring the young City players who are learning their trade while out at other clubs.
Speaking to Soccer AM recently, he said, ‘Currently there is about 30 players on loan between the ages of 18 and 23 – with the exception of Joe Hart, who is not 23.’ You can’t fault Joelon on attention to detail, can you?
But just how qualified is he to pass on pearls of wisdom to the stars of tomorrow? Here are some lessons that they can learn from Lescott.
PROTECT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA BRAND
Who could forget how enraged Aston Villa fans were when, in the midst of a dire plummet towards relegation in 2016, Lescott tweeted a picture of a luxury car shortly after a 6-0 home defeat against Liverpool?
But he thought quick and acted fast, explaining that it happened by mistake when his phone was in his pocket. Try it yourself – it’s surprising how easy it can happen!
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
In early 2014, Manchester City were keen to offload Lescott, seeing as how he wasn’t very good and kept getting injured. In fact, a potential transfer to West Ham was in the pipeline, but our hero turned it down, stating that he wanted to ‘win trophies’ before seeing what happened at the end of the season.
City did indeed win the Premier League and the Capital One Cup that season, but Joleon wasn’t really involved in either triumph and was released in the summer, leaving him free to negotiate a nice signing-on fee at his next club, West Bromwich Albion.
ALWAYS HAVE A BACK-UP PLAN
As his Manchester City career slowly began to fade into the distance in 2012, Joleon teamed up with his brother Aaron and then-Millwall player Jordan Stewart to launch a clothing range, even promoting it with a website! (Don’t look for it – it isn’t there any more).
Do YOU own a piece of Lescott Stewart clothing? Maybe take a quick look in your wardrobe.
Yeah, thought not.
THERE’S ALWAYS A CLUB DESPERATE FOR A PLAYER WHO WAS HALF-DECENT ONCE
After leaving Aston Villa after that torrid relegation (which he described as ‘a weight off our shoulders’), a spell at AEK Athens ended early after he injured himself on an exercise bike in his apartment.
Fortunately, that absolute bin fire of a club, Sunderland, were on hand and happy to sign him up on a four-month contract. The hapless Black Cats were relegated and for the reported £30,000 a week they were paying him, Lescott played the grand total of 123 minutes. WAHEY!
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