A former Premier League and international star is now plying his trade at ALDI – and likely pocketing more cash than ever.
Having started off in Manchester City’s academy, the 31-year-old was also on the books at Crystal Palace, Blackpool, Oldham, and various loan clubs.
His career, spanning almost a decade, also saw him strap on his goalie gloves for Scotland.
Sharing a dressing room with Premier League heroes such as Wilfried Zaha, Yannick Bolasie, and Marouane Chamakh was routine for this 6ft 4in stopper.
Nowadays he pulls on the blue jersey of ALDI each morning and sets to work as a National Supply Chain Director with the supermarket behemoths.
A former Premier League footballer is now working at ALDI – and likely earning more!
Former Crystal Palace goalkeeper Chris Kettings now turns out as a National Supply Chain Director for ALDI
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He better not dare cross the floor to LIDL or there could be uproar among the fans.
The player in question is none other than Chris Kettings, whose Premier League years were at Crystal Palace between 2014 and 2016.
He had a two-year deal at Selhurst Park and kept favoured goalkeepers Julian Speroni and Wayne Hennessey on their toes.
Unfortunately, he never got a competitive run out under the tutelage of Alan Pardew, Neil Warnock, or Keith Millen, and he was released in 2016. He did play in friendlies and made 36 appearances over his career as a whole.
On FIFA 15 he was assigned a respectable rating of 60, though he might have had some quibbles about his skill moves being rated one star.
The highest level he ever played at competitively was in League Two for Morecambe in the 2011-12 season, where he featured twice and kept one clean sheet.
He also earned caps for Scotland at Under 21 and U19 level.
Released by Palace in 2016, he had a year at Oldham before making the switch to ALDI as an Area Manager.
Kettings, 31, did a degree during his playing career and has worked his way up at ALDI
He started his football career in Manchester City’s youth team and was with Crystal Palace, Blackpool, Oldham, and various loan clubs
His dedication in training and performances saw him rise through the ranks to Director of Store Operations and he is now National Supply Chain Director.
The average Supply Chain Manager makes £63,000 per year at ALDI but that can rise to £94,000, and with Kettings’ seniority there’s every chance he is on more.
That salary is likely more than he was paid as a reserve for Palace, and certainly more than what he was earning lower down the leagues.
He studied Business and Accounting with the Open University between 2012 and 2015 to put himself in the best possible position for a post-football career.
As he once told the Professional Footballers’ Association: ‘I think a lot of footballers are reluctant to explore education, because they feel once they do this they are accepting the fact that one day they will no longer be a professional footballer.’
