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A glimpse into the daily life of former England defender Abbie McManus, who now serves as a firefighter.
“We both just stood there – it was surreal. We used to be in the dressing room together, and now we were just wanting this deer to stand up.”
For former England defender Abbie McManus, and ex-Leicester City striker Jess Sigsworth, the transition from elite footballers to firefighters has been filled with unexpected moments.
Among the most memorable was an incident while working for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, where they assisted in freeing a deer trapped in railings.
One moment they were sharing Women’s Super League dressing rooms at Manchester United and Leicester City; the next, they were side by side in helmets and breathing apparatus.
“It was one of those moments where we just looked at each other and thought, how has this become our life?” McManus reflected.
McManus (second from top right) and Sigsworth (top right) played together for two seasons at Manchester United
Growing up in the north of England, their paths crossed at Manchester United, and their friendship played a significant role in their career choices.
“There were a couple of clubs that wanted us both,” McManus shared. “We said we’d move together. Leaving for Leicester was massive because Manchester is home.
“Having Jess there was like a comfort blanket. We lived together for a couple of years.”
Professional footballing careers do not always end on players’ own terms, with both McManus (in 2023) and Sigsworth (in 2024) forced to retire due to serious injuries.
“I was medically retired,” McManus explained. “I had a bad break in my leg. It was a bitter pill to swallow. I tried for 18 months to come back, but the surgeon eventually said: ‘You’re done.'”
“Football’s your whole life. You’ve done it since you were 16 years old, and then suddenly the big wide world comes at you.”
Her injury also overshadowed another important occasion.
“I rang my mum from the stretcher and said: ‘I’ve broken my leg.’ I didn’t understand why she sounded so stressed, but she’d organised a surprise 30th birthday for two days later. She was more livid about the party than my leg.”
Sigsworth faced a similar situation, suffering another knee injury at Leicester after recovering from one in 2017.
“I remember the sound,” she said. “I knew I’d done it. As I got carried off, I pulled my hat over my eyes and thought: ‘I’m not coming back from this.’ I just couldn’t mentally go through it again.”
Jess Sigsworth (left) featured for England’s youth teams while Abbie McManus won 18 caps for the Lionesses
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Retirement led both to seek new purpose, with a conversation in Leicester’s dressing room proving pivotal.
“We just looked at each other one day and said: ‘We’re going to join the fire service,'” McManus explained. “And now we’re sat here, which is surreal.”
For both, the parallels between football and firefighting eased their transition.
“The teamwork, the pressure, it’s so similar,” Sigsworth noted. “We’d lose our minds sitting still in an office.”
The pride of representing a badge in football has been replaced at the fire service.
“It makes me laugh because Jess would score and kiss the badge – I’ve never had a job when you’re not representing a badge,” McManus said. “We’ve changed a football badge to the fire service badge.”
Having joined a few months earlier, she was also able to assist Sigsworth with the recruitment process, which her friend appreciated.
“It’s funny because she was always my captain,” Sigsworth said. “Always helping people, always leading. She did the same for me getting into the fire service.”
McManus (left) alongside a colleague during firefighter training
They both agreed that elite sport had prepared them for emergency response work.
“We enjoy pressure,” Sigsworth said. “In football, you’re playing in front of crowds, under scrutiny, constantly wanting to prove yourself. That mentality never leaves you.”
Even the daily routines are familiar.
“You must pass so many fitness tests to get into the fire service,” explained McManus. “We do loads of PT, and the togetherness you’d have as a football team you have here.
“It’s cringy to say, but when you’re at an exhausted part of a workout, that’s when teamwork comes in. It’s the same on a job if you’re in a really hot fire, you’ve got to pull each other through. Nobody gets left behind – it’s the same at football pre-season.
“You arrive, get your kit sorted, train together, eat together.
“If we lost a football match, we’d analyse it afterwards. It’s the same here after difficult jobs. It’s like one big family.”
Still, there are aspects of match days they miss.
“That moment before you walk out,” Sigsworth said. “The music is blasting in the changing room, everyone is shouting. I think you miss that forever.”
They recently put their boots back on, representing the fire service in a seven-a-side emergency services tournament in Spain. They won, although Sigsworth’s brief stint in goal did not go as planned.
“We won’t mention Jess getting lobbed,” McManus laughed.
“I’m a centre-forward!” Sigsworth replied. “They stuck me in net. One girl just booted it from kick-off, and I was daydreaming.”
Sigsworth and McManus (centre) were part of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service team that won the Emergency Services Football League tournament in Salou, Spain
Jess Sigsworth and a colleague after a firefighter training exercise
Both have also witnessed the transformation of women’s football firsthand.
“When I joined Manchester City, I was paying £380 subs just to play,” McManus said. “Now little girls walk around wearing Ella Toone shirts. That’s the best thing ever because girls can finally see a path.”
“When we were younger, we didn’t really have professional women footballers to look up to. Now little girls can genuinely aspire to that life,” Sigsworth said.
And having navigated retirement themselves, both players understand they can still have an identity – after football.
“Life doesn’t stop after football,” Sigsworth said. “We got so consumed by it that we think it’s the only thing we’ll ever love. But I love my job now. I love having an identity again.”
McManus feels the same.
“If you’re retiring from football, yes you’ll miss it,” she said. “But you can absolutely find something else to fall in love with again.”