From playing in the English Premier League for Newcastle United and Portsmouth in his prime, Lomana LuaLua has experienced the highs that come with football and yet can also relate to the challenges that come post playing.
LuaLua was born in Kinshasa, DR Congo but moved to England while in primary school and broke through at Colchester United, before moving to Newcastle United as a teenager.
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His career then took him to Portsmouth, Greece, Qatar, Cyprus, Turkey and through that time, he played in the Congolese national team for a decade.
"The transition from playing is very difficult, especially for players of African descent, who mostly come from poverty," LuaLua tells KickOff.com.
LuaLua (43) now lives in Congo but has family in South Africa.
"The trouble with football is that it is a short career that doesn't prepare you for days after you stop playing.
"All you have ever known all your life is playing football, but that is a career that can end when you are aged 30.
"You have another 40, 50 or 60 years to live afterwards, so what do you then do from there onwards?
"A lot of former players are suffering not because they didn't plan but because they weren't prepared for this part of their lives.
"You play football in front of crowds from the age of eight with fame following you and then suddenly get to have the curtains closed at 30.
"From being loved to suddenly being just another guy on the street who must now fend for his next meal by whatever means.
"It then becomes extremely difficult to make the transition into doing anything else because you have never known of anything else.
"This is when a lot of former players go through depression and suffering.
"Plenty break down.
"In Africa, it is worse because once you stop playing, they 'kill' you and you disappear.
"It is easy to pinpoint discipline as a factor, but it is more a case of preparation.
"If you are not prepared mentally, it can be damaging.
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"Europeans are always prepared for life after football, but with us on the continent, you 'die' once you are done playing.
"All I ever knew as a kid was playing football in a space where there was no social media, but when I ultimately finished my career, it became a case of having the curtains closed.
"Finding a balance from having been a star to a peasant is difficult.
"Those in charge of football in our countries need to be people who can relate or (players need to) confide in those that understand the space," says LuaLua.