I’m an ex-Celtic star who has switched the pitch for the road to become a qualified driving instructor

FOOTBALLERS often switch to coaching or punditry once they call it a day and hang up their boots.

Many of course decide against that route, but it's rare to see a former pro take to the road to become a driving instructor instead.

Ex-Celtic goalie Carl Muggleton is the exception though as the Englishman now has his own business teaching the next generation the rules of the road.

The stopper, who spent six months at Parkhead in 1994, decided to stay involved in the beautiful game when he retired in 2008 before taking up the unusual new career path.

After leaving Mansfield Town, where he played his last match, he joined Notts County as a part-time goalkeeping coach.

He then teamed up with Gillingham in a similar role before leaving for Barnet in 2016.

Muggleton was appointed head of recruitment at Chesterfield in May 2018 but left the club in December that year after manager Martin Allen was sacked.

But despite keeping himself busy with several clubs over the past few years, he also decided to become a qualified instructor and has been established on the road for over five years.

The 54-year-old has helped hundreds of people gain their licence through his Carl Muggleton Driving School.

He's still heavily involved in football on the side though and takes time to assist young goalkeepers with the Northern Ireland Under-21 team too.

Muggleton played for 14 clubs throughout his 22-year career and had a short spell with the Hoops when he joined the club in January 1994.

He spent the remainder of the 1993/94 season at Celtic and made 12 top-flight appearances in that time.

The former England youth international was signed by manager Lou Macari from Leicester and left Glasgow in the summer after Tommy Burns took over as gaffer in March.

It was a season to forget for the Celts as they ended the campaign with no trophies and finished 4th in the league behind Rangers, Aberdeen and Motherwell.