SEASON zine Meets: Alfie Whiteman, Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper turned filmmaker, on retirement and putting happiness first
Words Zoe Allen
Images courtesy of Alfie Whiteman
For 27-year-old English former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman, describing the next phase of his career as “retirement” is misleading. The word has connotations of endings and withdrawal from professional life (or, as we laughed about, being at least 65 years old), none of which are truly applicable. Professional footballers retire far earlier than the average person (between the ages of 34 and 36, with some notable exceptions), making Whiteman’s retirement significantly early in the grand scheme of things. And yet, he would say it was right on time.
Having spent nearly two decades in North London, Whiteman faced high-pressure moments — as a second-half substitute in a Europa League match against Ludogorets Razgrad under Jose Mourinho, his only official game for Tottenham’s first team. However, he also faced career uncertainty, spending most of his career behind international goalkeepers such as Hugo Lloris, and after a serious injury during Spurs’ preseason tour in 2023. These moments spurred critical self-reflection: the honest realisation that happiness shouldn’t be deferred until after matchday. Also, he had no interest in pursuing football beyond his playing days, which meant that Whiteman began to prepare for his transition early, taking coffee runs on film sets and trading keeper gloves for camera grips on his days off. Closing his chapter as a professional footballer after celebrating this year’s Europa League triumph could be the plot of a Hollywood movie. A feat that has undoubtedly shaped his decision to devote his time to storytelling after leaving the sticks, never discarding the grit and self-discovery that top-tier football demanded of him.
This summer, when the time finally came to walk away from his childhood club after spending season after season as Spurs’ third or fourth choice goalkeeper, Whiteman did so with little fanfare but plenty of gratitude, his mindset sharpened by years under constant scrutiny and expectation. Now, after signing with one of the world’s leading production companies, Somesuch (who called him for coffee after his video documenting this summer’s World Toe Wrestling Championship in Derbyshire went viral), he navigates a new field of play. His intimate moving and still imagery captures moments of human connection in unseen places, defined by a curiosity for how culture and sport, identity and community intersect.
In 2026, Whiteman’s first solo exhibition, “A Loan,” will be shown at OOF Gallery, exploring themes of "solitude, loneliness, and introspection.” The project was shot in 2022 during his loan spell at Degerfors IF, where he spent time living in a remote cabin in Sweden. This show is proof that Whiteman’s departure from the beautiful game and reinvention as a filmmaker and director doesn’t mean erasing the past, but rather building on it.
Zoe Allen: How long have you been contemplating retirement from football? The “from football” part is so key to your story, as you’ve moved on from one career but directly into another.
Alfie Whiteman: The last couple of years, probably, sparked by the injury. I wasn’t very happy, and I felt like I wasn’t maximising my potential across everything. And last summer, I came to terms with the fact that there were a lot of things about my job that I didn’t really like.
I’ve been working for the last seven or eight years trying to get on sets, fetching coffees, being a runner on all my days off, trying to get experience where I could in my time off from football. I was trying to utilise my time off preparing for my next career.
I never really thought about it as “I’m going to retire on this day,” I thought about it as being prepared for it whenever it comes. I had a really bad injury a couple of years ago, where I broke my leg and tore ligaments in my ankle and missed most of the season, a new manager was coming in and I had just been on loan. That period reminded me of how fickle the sport is, because it can also just end when it’s not your decision.
Zoe Allen: Did Tottenham’s Europa League triumph factor into your decision at all?
Alfie Whiteman: I was in the stadium when we won the Carling Cup in 2008 with my dad as a fan. So to then be running on the pitch when we won the Europa League, celebrating with all the boys and being a part of that squad, it was fantastic. In the months following, I was weighing up if I still wanted to keep playing. I shopped around a couple of clubs and realised, “I’ve had enough.” It had been my whole life since I was 10 years old, but in the last couple of years, I had been involved in things that were exciting to me off the pitch. I needed to put my happiness first and take this step into the unknown.
“I came to terms with the fact that there were a lot of things about my job that I didn’t really like.”
Zoe Allen: You’ve been retired from Spurs for a few months, but only recently signed with Somesuch as a director. What was the transitional period like?
Alfie Whiteman: It was a big period of texting and calling all my friends, everyone I knew, going for a lot of coffees, reaching out to people for advice, and assisting on set. I was telling people that I would literally do anything. Just a few days after I retired officially, I was assisting [photographer and director] Harley Weir on this big shoot [for Nike with Central Cee].
Zoe Allen: That sounds exactly like what I went through after I graduated from university. You had to learn your dues in the same way that you did while playing football.
Alfie Whiteman: Exactly, I really had to earn it. I got rid of my ego, did a lot of unpaid gigs, and was available as much as possible. Lo and behold, this opportunity came up for Vibram this past summer when I went and assisted my friends with stills at the World Toe Wrestling Championship. They ended up commissioning me to make a video that received critical attention, which is what led to these production companies seeking me out. Now, I’m signed!
Zoe Allen: Who would have expected that the World Toe Wrestling Championship would launch your career?
Alfie Whiteman: People love feet.
Zoe Allen: You had been at Tottenham since you were 10, and you’re 27 now. What was it like to say goodbye?
Alfie Whiteman: I emptied my locker, put my stuff in a bin, and walked out the door. That was really it, just like leaving another job. I said goodbye to my teammates, a few members of staff, and a few physios. I just left, got in a Prius Uber X, and I’ve not been back. I actually got a letter from them yesterday and I’m wondering why.
I grew up there. I had so many great experiences and met many great people. But big football clubs are businesses and it’s a cutthroat world. Growing up in a big academy, you’re dealing with a lot of criticism and high-pressure situations from a young age. I was ready for the next thing. I’ve gotten lots of nice messages from wonderful fans which has been so nice. I’m so glad I got to be a part of this club.
Zoe Allen: Do you think you’ll go back to games? Do you plan for your art to intersect with sport, or are you looking for a clean break?
Alfie Whiteman: For sure. My experience gives me a unique perspective, and there aren’t many people who have played and are in the world that I’m getting into. I’m sure there will be some crossover, and that I’ll be doing stuff around sports. I love sports. Everything that I want to do, from short films to photo projects, has to have my vision. There are so many exciting projects within sports and football that I can explore.
In terms of playing, I just don’t want to be a professional footballer again. But I am looking forward to going to play with my friends and enjoying the game in its purest form.
Zoe Allen: What excites you most about being represented by Somesuch?
Alfie Whiteman: I think that everything Somesuch does is incredible, and they’re really committed to developing and nurturing their directors, which is what I need. I love their dedication to making things they truly care about, and the fact that their work spans such a broad spectrum of shorts, features, and commercials. It’s so exciting to be a part of one of the top production companies in the world. I feel like I’m back in the Premier League in some ways; it’s quite surreal.
“My retirement has resonated with those who want a change and has reminded them that it’s never too late to do so”
Zoe Allen: I love that you likened it to the Prem, because it’s no small feat to be at the top of your game in football at Tottenham and then transition to be at the top of your game in filmmaking by signing with an agency like Somesuch. How did your experience as a professional athlete set you up for this next phase?
Alfie Whiteman: Growing up in football, you develop this thick skin quite quickly. Even if you’re in an academy, not many people actually make it all the way through. So for me to have been able to do that, I had to make a lot of sacrifices and be very disciplined. I didn’t have a normal teenage life; instead of making big mistakes in school, I would make public mistakes for the Under-17 National Team. It’s a very merit-based sport, so I think it really set me up for what was next for me. It taught me so much about discipline, hard work, confidence, and self-assurance.
Zoe Allen: I’d imagine you’re feeling a lot of emotions since you’ve announced your retirement, but I wanted to ask how you’re really feeling about it all.
Alfie Whiteman: It’s funny because I never planned on announcing retirement — I actually retired three months ago. I really thought it wasn’t that big of a deal. But a lot of people have told me that it’s inspiring, and that my retirement has resonated with those who want a change and has reminded them that it’s never too late to do so. So, right now, I’m feeling like most things in life, or at least anything good anyway, involve an element of risk and I’m ready for that. @aaaaaaaalf @alfie_whiteman
