- Modise opens up about how he managed his finances
- 'The General' reveals which car he spent a lot of money on
- He now works for TV channel as a football pundit
WHAT HAPPENED: Modise was the trendsetter in the modern-day Premier Soccer League with almost every little boy in the township begging their barber to style them in the mohawk made famous by Modise. He was a star and the poster boy of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
The retired Modise was known for his exceptional skills and being among the top earners at his former clubs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.
However, even he couldn't foresee the need to dial down his extravagant lifestyle after realizing he had made some rather regrettable choices. Earlier in his career, 'The General' spent about R22 000 monthly on an Aston Martin while still playing for the Buccaneers.
Little did the two-time PSL Footballer of the Season know that this self-imposed "lifestyle audit" would be a crash course for his post-football days. You see, those flashy endorsement deals, as tempting as they may be, simply can't compare to the mountain of cash he once raked in during his prime.
WHAT WAS SAID: "I downgraded my lifestyle, and by that, I mean I scaled down on what I was spending. I got a smaller apartment, I sold three of the four cars I had and instead of blowing R50 000 on sneakers, I would just get one pair. But people started whispering that I no longer had money and as a result I had just one friend left," Modise said as per iDiskiTimes.
AND WHAT MORE: "That’s why I was able to adjust to moving to Cape Town City – what I earned there compared to my salary at Mamelodi Sundowns was chalk and cheese. I was one of the highest earners at Sundowns and with bonuses, I could still survive when I joined a new club. I learnt the hard way.
"In football we don’t talk about coping with depression – I went and bought a car because I was depressed. I felt the need to be loved and accepted. A wiser me wouldn’t go and buy material things to make myself feel good. That was a bad decision. I thought the financial flexibility I had would fill the void – it was about trying to belong. I had no business buying a car that cost me R22 000 a month. But the best education is experience. What I had done taught me a lot about finances in general," said 'Google Earth'.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Modise managed to get his finances back on track as he sustains his life after football as a pundit for SuperSport TV and still has a couple of sponsorship deals.
WHAT'S NEXT: Unlike most players, the coaching bug did not bite Modise as he does not appear to be keen to sit in the dugout. He is expected to be part of SuperSport's panel next season, where he covers the PSL and Caf Champions League games.
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