I was a captain who won the FA Cup but I quit and took a job as a construction worker for £60 a week… now I live in a hobbit cave with my wife
A NEWCASTLE FC star who captained an FA Cup-winning side gave it up to take a £60-a-week construction job – and now lives in a ‘hobbit hole’ with his wife.
In a career spanning nearly two decades, Brian Kilcline established himself as one of football’s iconic heroes.
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But after giving up his career, Kilcline took a job as a construction worker – earning £60 a week for 18 months of work.
He told that Daily mail: “It wasn’t about money, I learned the trade.”
“If you stop learning in life, you might as well give up.”
It was these skills that gave him the tools to carve out his ‘hobbit hole’ in Cornwall.
The 1.80m tall centre-back, who was Coventry City’s FA Cup winner in 1987, lives in the bizarre location in St Austell, Cornwall.
On the outside of the house is a muddy shore, a pond, and a statue of a naked mermaid.
Kilcline pointed to the pond and said, “This is the pool now.”
“Yesterday there were 20 newts in it and a very bad-tempered frog.
“We had to send them an eviction notice!”
The body of the house – assembled two months ago – features a wood paneled door that opens to reveal a small bed.
Lynn said, “Before you state the obvious: It’s enough for Brian to sleep,” she said.
“Either that, or I’ll put him in the little shed outside if he misbehaves.”
Inside the house, the walls are decorated with feathered arrows, and a long bow hangs next to them.
Both are used to get some practice on the outside target.
The site’s main house is 20 meters away and is in dire need of a refurbishment, but Kilcline insists this is not a priority just yet.
“Ah, that can wait,” says Kilcline.
“That’s the fun part. The journey is better than the destination.”
“We’re in no hurry to leave this.”
Known for his long hair and mustache, Brian played for multiple teams throughout his glittering career.
He enjoyed stints with Notts County, Newcastle United and Swindon Town, among others.
His crowning glory, however, came when he captained Coventry City in a dramatic overtime win over Tottenham Hotspur in 1987 to lift the FA Cup.
It comes after a former football star who played for Manchester United in the Champions League hung up his football boots and trained as a builder and plumber.
Elsewhere, a former Man City right-back who played for England’s U20 side is now making £35million a year after launching his own clothing line.