After being released by Newcastle United in 2013, winger Marcus Maddison climbed back up to the football league via Blyth Spartans and Gateshead.
When Peterborough signed the lively winger from 'The Heed' in 2014 it was the biggest transfer sale in the non league club's history: £250,000 with a potential to rise to £500,000.
Maddison had a big impact at London Road over six seasons and would regularly notch double figures from midfield and weigh in with a significant number of assists.
Regularly linked with moves to The Championship and Premier League, a big move never materialised and by 2019 Maddison had grown disillusioned with the game. It all came to a head in April when his loan move to League Two Bolton was cut short by mutual consent after 10 appearances with no goals.
Maddison, whose style on and off the pitch often divided fans, had his one year deal with Charlton Athletic terminated last month. Rather than seek a professional deal elsewhere, he has linked up with former Peterbrough United teammate Gaby Zakuani at non league Spalding United in the Northern Premier League Division One, four tiers beneath Peterbrough and at the same level of the football pyramid as Hebburn Town and Dunston UTS.
Maddison, who has the words 'Why so serious?' tattooed just below his neck, has also begun a gaming channel and plans to stream on a full-time basis, competing in eSports competitions on popular games like FIFA 21. The bio on his channel reads: "Don’t grow old gracefully, play games & keep your inner child alive"
At 27 he could be theoretically entering the prime of his career in the beautiful game, but after realising that wasn't making him happy, it looks like he's switched the the virtual game instead.
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