Goalkeeper retires after rare appearances but rich rewards

Nick's ESL News Lessons

A printable worksheet for news-based English conversation classes.

Date: 2025/11/03

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: Goalkeeper retires after rare appearances but rich rewards

Vocabulary Match

pitch •• playing field
competitive •• serious
trophies •• awards
reportedly •• according to reports
represented •• played for
hardly •• almost not

Vocabulary Answers

pitchplaying field
competitiveserious
trophiesawards
reportedlyaccording to reports
representedplayed for
hardlyalmost not

Article

Goalkeeper Scott Carson has retired after a 21-year football career, including six seasons as Manchester City's third-choice keeper. During that time, he played only two competitive matches, spending just 107 minutes on the pitch, yet won 12 major trophies, including four Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Despite rarely appearing, Carson reportedly earned about £12.7 million over his career, around ¥2.7 billion. Before joining City, he played for nine clubs and represented England four times. Carson leaves football with an incredible record for someone who hardly ever played.

Quiz

  1. How long was Scott Carson's football career?
  2. How many competitive matches did Carson play for Manchester City?
  3. How much money did Carson reportedly earn during his career?
  4. How many clubs did Carson play for before joining Manchester City?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. 21 years
  2. Two matches
  3. About £12.7 million
  4. Nine clubs

Conversation

A:Hey Scott, are you really retiring now?
B:Yeah, it's time to hang up the gloves.
A:But you won so many trophies without playing much!
B:I know, right? I have a great seat on the bench.
A:So, what's next for you?
B:Maybe I'll become a coach and teach others how to sit!

Discussion

  1. Would you rather be a bench warmer or a star player?
  2. Do you think it's fair to win trophies even if you don't play much?
  3. Would you like to have a job where you do very little but get paid a lot?
  4. What other jobs can you think of that seem high-paying but low-effort?
  5. What other sports do you think are interesting to watch?

Source Material

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cq50w88x6yno

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