When footballers retire from professional football, some turn their hands to coaching and management, punditry or, in the case of many, counting their small fortunes on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least, that's how FourFourTwo envisions its retirement.
But former Germany, Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund forward Andre Schurrle has taken a slightly different path, deciding to test himself in an utterly ridiculous way - by trekking up a snow-covered mountain semi-naked. Sorry, what?
Schurrle retired from professional football at the end of 2020 while still only 29-years-old, stating he no longer wanted to face the unhappiness he felt with the endless competition inherent at the elite level.
He has since enjoyed some time out of the game with his young family, but, in one of his latest Instagram posts, the World Cup winner has shared a series of images completing an experience devised by breathing expert, low-temperature guru and all-round barmy Dutchman Wim Hof.
Schurrle said: "Day three of the Wim Hof Experience and up the summit with our beautiful crew!
"The hardest mental and physical thing I ever did! The last minutes I couldn’t feel anything and I had to find something deep inside me to keep going.
"An experience that I will never forget. -19 degrees centigrade, 100 km/h wind in our faces, heavy snow and rain. What I learned: my body and I are stronger than I thought. If I put my mind and soul to it I can do everything."
As part of the experience, Schurrle had to walk up the mountain topless, wearing only shorts, gloves and hiking boots in the freezing temperatures. Certainly a far cry from assisting the winning goal in the World Cup final, or holding aloft the Premier League trophy, but clearly still a rewarding experience for the German nonetheless.
Other have clearly taken notice of the expedition, too, with his former Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba the most notable person commenting on the post. The Ivorian recently worked as a pundit for the BBC at World Cup 2022, and had time to attempt a little joke before offering Schurrle his praise.
Didier Drogba commented: "Fashion week! Proud of you my man - my body would have stopped functioning straight away."
