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Exclusive:Ex-Sunderland, Chelsea and Leicester hopeful details retirement aged just 22 after negative experiences Former Sunderland goalkeeper Kelechi Chibueze has detailed the difficult experiences behind his decision to retire aged just 22 Former Sunderland goalkeeper Kelechi Chibueze has opened up on his decision to retire from professional football at the age of just 22 after losing his passion for the game. The former Chelsea and Leicester City academy prospect spent two years on Wearside, regularly featuring for Sunderland’s under-21 side and training alongside Régis Le Bris’ first-team squad. Chibueze left the Stadium of Light at the end of the 2024-25 campaign but, despite opportunities to remain in the professional game, eventually decided to pursue a new career away from football. Speaking exclusively to The Echo, Chibueze explained that the roots of his decision could be traced back to a difficult period at Leicester, where injuries and a lack of meaningful opportunities gradually stripped away his enjoyment. “It has been a real shame,” he said. “But I think it was a combination of different things that made me decide to retire. I think the biggest one stems from when I was at Leicester as a first-year professional. That first season in the under-21s was when I really lost my passion and love for the game. “It was a really difficult year with injuries and not playing. There were a lot of goalkeepers and a few older ones who did not end up going out on loan, so I knew I was not going to play. I was pushing to go out on loan, but they said they wanted me to be the number two. Then the other goalkeeper in my age group could not go out on loan, so there were three of us, and I fell down the pecking order. “I got to the point where I was not even training with the team. I was almost being used as a mannequin for the first-team goalkeepers during their sessions. Every day felt like a vicious cycle of turning up, serving the first team and then doing some finishing work at the end. It became really difficult, and that was when I started to lose my love and passion for the game.” The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel. Moving to Sunderland provided Chibueze with a fresh environment and helped him rediscover some of his enthusiasm. He impressed at under-21 level and remained involved around the senior group, but the absence of first-team appearances ultimately counted against him when he attempted to find another club following his release. “When I went to Sunderland, I did not really have that passion or love for the game, but it was a fresh environment. It was a great club with great facilities and great people. That gave me a new lease of life and invigorated me. It was a good two years. What made it difficult for me to find another club afterwards was the lack of experience in men’s football. That is what everybody seems to be looking for, especially with young goalkeepers.” “I went to Sutton in the summer of 2025, but I was going to be the number two. Their goalkeeper was around 26 or 27, so he was entering his prime as a goalkeeper. I could not bank on him getting injured, and what they were offering financially was not great. From a career perspective, I knew I was going to be the number two and would not get many games. “I thought it would be better to drop down to step two or step three and build a career from there. My agent gave me the impression that was something he could sort out, but it never materialised. He kept giving me the impression that a few teams were looking at me, but nothing really happened.” That uncertainty led to a frustrating experience with Telford, where Chibueze arrived believing there could be an immediate opening in goal. He quickly discovered that the established goalkeeper was not injured and was expected to return within a matter of weeks. “I went to Telford and played one game during the summer. My agent made it sound as though their number one had an injury. I turned up for the game and was doing the warm-up with their under-21s goalkeeper. I asked what had happened to the other goalkeeper and was told that his partner was pregnant and he would be back in a few weeks. “I just thought: ‘Here we go.’ You hear similar stories from a lot of players who go on trial. You can spend one or two weeks running around different places without knowing the full situation. Sometimes you arrive and discover they are not even looking for a goalkeeper or a centre-back. A lot of people have stories like that.” Before leaving Sunderland, Chibueze also spent several days training with League Two club Colchester United after being invited by their goalkeeping coach. The timing of that trial, however, made it difficult for him to properly demonstrate his ability or earn a contract. “Just before I left Sunderland, I went to Colchester for around three days because their goalkeeping coach had asked me to come in. It was a couple of days before their final game of the season, and the sessions were short and sharp because they did not have much to play for. I could not really demonstrate very much. I hoped they might call and ask me to come back during the summer, but I never heard from them.” Those setbacks eventually contributed to Chibueze stepping away from the professional game altogether. His story offers another reminder of the precarious reality facing academy graduates, with a lack of senior experience often making it difficult for talented young players to secure their next opportunity.