Former Coventry City captain Carl Baker has revealed how becoming a professional referee has saved him from spiralling into depression.

The one-time Sky Blues favourite says his life had no purpose following his retirement in 2023 from a long Football League career covering more than 350 appearances, including spells at Portsmouth and MK Dons.

It resulted in the 42-year-old former midfielder struggling to get out of bed or leave the house as even the prospect of playing golf every day quickly became a nightmare.

Baker even went to the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst as a caddie for two-time DP World Tour winner, Robert Rock, but still struggled at home. That’s until, however, he joined the Professional Game Match Officials’ ‘Player to Match Official’ programme, run jointly alongside the PFA –

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