Wayne Rooney’s forgotten teammate is now a vegan guitarist who runs a zero-waste shop
RICHARD ECKERSLEY has swapped Old Trafford for a zero-waste store in Devon.
The former defender played alongside Wayne Rooney in an FA Cup game in 2009 before retiring from football before the age of 30.
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His appearance in the 4-0 win at Fulham was one of four appearances for the Red Devils.
A vegan and aspiring guitarist, Eckersley also spoke about his love of country walks during his playing days.
But since retiring in 2016 at the age of 27, he has run a zero-waste shop called Earth in Totnes. Eat. Love.
The supermarket, which Eckersley runs with his wife Nicola, has a unique “no packaging” policy.
As part of the business motto, their goal is to offer customers “ethical, healthy and organic” goods.
Eckersley told the about his new career BBC in 2017: “I sweep floors, I mop, I do all these other things that footballers wouldn’t normally do and I work there all the time.”
“Football is incredible in the sense that it connects people all over the world – there are so many fans who are so passionate about football.”
“But if we don’t have a planet to live on and it’s not thriving and it’s not healthy, then football doesn’t matter, it doesn’t make a difference anymore.”
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Eckersley left United at the end of the 2008–09 season, in which the club had won both the League Cup and the Premier League.
He went on to play for Burnley, Toronto, New York Red Bulls and Oldham and had a number of loan spells in the Football League.
Still only 34 years old, he continues to rule the earth. Eat. Love. in the town of Totnes.