Ex Chelsea Keeper Who Won the EPL at Stamford Bridge Now Working As Gardener

• Lenny Pidgeley was part of Chelsea's squad that won the Premier League with Jose Mourinho in 2005
• The Englishman was only able to make two appearances for the Blues from 2003 up to his exit in 2006
• Pidgeley played for several primarily non-league clubs before ending his career at Farnborough in 2018

Lenny Pidgeley, a former Chelsea star who played under Jose Mourinho, is now working as a gardener after he called time on his football career.

The former goalkeeper had the world on his feet when he joined the Blues as a teenager back in 2003.

It did not take long before Mourinho, who had just joined Chelsea from Porto, selected the budding goalkeeper in his squad during the 2004/05 season.

However, given the presence of Petr Cech, it was almost guaranteed Pidgeley was not going to play a prominent role that season.

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Be that as it may, Mourinho still found a place for him on the bench during Chelsea's League Cup triumph in 2005.

The former goalkeeper went on to make his Premier League debut towards the end of the campaign as the Blues went on to lift the Premier League trophy.

Incredibly, John Terry is said to have even gone out of his way to ensure Pidgeley received a winners medal.

Lenny Pidgeley's career hits nosedive

However, that is as far as it went with Pidgeley's career at Chelsea. According to The Sun, the Englishman left Stamford Bridge in 2006 after just two appearances and went on to join Millwall on loan.

After then, he became a journeyman with several lower-tier teams, including Woking, Carlisle United, Bradford City, Exeter City, Newport County, Mansfield Town, Leatherhead, Forest Green Rovers, Hastings United, and Margate.

He would later wind up his career at Farnborough, where his manager infamously announced the goalkeeper's retirement from football in 2018.

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Lenny Pidgeley's struggle with depression

It is understood that Pidgeley's football career came to a screeching halt just three months after he had penned a deal with Farnborough.

According to reports, the ex-keeper's retirement came after a struggle with depression.

"The manager had made me feel so small and suggested it was all my fault if they lost, because I couldn’t play," Pidgeley told FourFourTwo.

He called out his former manager for stealing his moment in retirement - a moment he believes every professional has the right to.

"That could have tipped somebody else over the edge, but luckily for me I had the coping mechanisms in place to put it to one side," he added.

More than four years after Pidgeley's retirement, the former Chelsea star is now working as a gardener - a career switch he has found fulfilment in.

"It’s tempting to wonder how different it could have panned out if I wasn’t one of the thousands who suffer from depression, but I am where I am and I’m finding peace," he recently admitted.

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Kante hints at Chelsea future

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that N'Golo Kante has made a decision over his Chelsea future amid speculation he could depart at the end of the season.

The Frenchman's current deal with the Stamford Bridge side is set to expire this summer, with his contract situation sparking fears he could leave for free.

Kante has been one of Chelsea's most influential figures since his arrival back in 2016 from Leicester City, with his latest comments hinting at his plans.