Ryan Bertrand opens up on life after football as former Champions League winner turns himself into successful businessman

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail, so says the adage. Ryan Bertrand always considered what he what do after football and founded founded fintech brokerage Silicon Markets with business partner and long-term friend Louis Bell in 2015 Bertrand drinks in Chelsea's historic 2012 Champions League triumph on an open-top bus alongside Didier Drogba, Sam Hutchinson and Gary Cahill The defender picked up 19 international caps for England during his illustrious career ‘When the day comes it isn’t always graceful, I always wanted the opportunity to finish when I wanted to finish. ‘Perhaps from a personal context it allowed me to have more empathy and objectivity when approaching sports from a business perspective because I could understand what they are going through.’ Bertrand spent seven years at Southampton and was named in the 2015 PFA team of the year Bertrand says his numerous loans, including his time at Reading, have rounded him The 35-year-old finished his career at Leicester City, announcing his retirement last June In 2015, Bertrand - together with business partner and long-term friend Louis Bell - founded fintech brokerage Silicon Markets. ‘We saw Revolut grow and that was eye opening, great lessons and learning curves.’ Today, alongside Bell, Bertrand runs football talent agency FA Sport that looks after the interests of Chelsea and England defender Levi Colwill and Everton striker Armando Broja among others. Bertrand played alongside a host of stars at Chelsea, including Spain midfielder Juan Mata and won the FA Cup and Europa League as well as the Champions League There was more silverware at Leicester, picking up the Community Shield with Jamie Vardy Ryan Bertrand was selected for Stuart Pearce's 2012 Great Britain Olympic squad ‘You do what you’ve got to do.