Jeremy Mathieu: "I Was Depressed and Won't Be a Shop Assistant Forever"

Former French player Jeremy Mathieu has reappeared five years after his retirement due to a serious knee injury. Photos recently circulated showing him working as a sales assistant in a sports clothing and equipment store.

Mathieu told French channel beIN Sports: "I was depressed. My friend Loïc Leval Landry knew I wanted to get out of the house a bit, as I hadn't done anything for a long time. During our conversation, he told me: 'There's a job opening.'"

The former Barcelona and Valencia player declined to elaborate on the reasons behind this sudden change in his life. He stated: "I cannot talk about it. My presence in the store is due to specific circumstances that caused me many problems, and all I can say is that I am involved in a lawsuit."

Mathieu concluded his remarks about his current job by saying: "I won't continue this work forever; it was aimed at regaining my social life."