WELCOME to the real world.

There can be a protective bubble around footballers that only bursts at retirement or rejection. The moment of realisation that it could be a cruel world came dramatically for Roddy Manley, a robust centre-half who found that a simple cyst placed his very life in danger.

"I came out of unconsciousness,” he says of an awakening in a hospital bed, "and a priest was there giving me the last rites.”

The moment of ultimate peril came when Manley was playing for St Mirren some 22 years ago. He had undergone an operation to remove a benign cyst but contracted a blood infection.

"It was a nightmare,” he says. "They tried to stop the infection going throughout the body and I was jagged across my groin. I was in quarantine, losing weight, my family did not recognise me.”

But he adds: “I came through it.”

Now 50, the former St Mirren, Dundee and Falkirk defender is sitting in the Glasgow city centre office of Vary, the recruitment company he owns. “When I left football, I had nothing,” he says. "I am not blaming anyone for that. I never had any help or support, no direction. But I had drive and that saved me.”

Manley set up a transport business with Tommy McQueen, the former Dundee and Aberdeen full-back, and in the almost two decades since retirement has thrown himself into a variety of labours. “Some have done better than others,” he says with a smile. “But this business is in good shape, with offices in Glasgow and London, and top-name clients.”

His mission now is to help fellow footballers make that transition to the real world. He has set up Spohrt, a company that offers “employability solutions” to players from the age of 13 onwards. There are development programmes, help to achieve qualifications and career advice.

Manley talks of the past with some sentiment but he is hard-headed about this project.

“It is for profit,” he says. “To be clear I will make money out of this by placing footballers with clients. But it is also about helping footballers. I am passionate about that. My businesses allow me to do this. And I want to do it right.”

He has already had talks with the SFA and PFA Scotland and has run a pilot scheme with the PFA in England. “I am happy to run this in the association with the authorities,” he says.

“I charge clients money for providing staff. l am an open book about that. But I believe it is a win-win for everyone. I will generate revenue but I am confident I can give footballers skills and get them a job.”

He has worked in recruitment for 10 years and knows both the opportunities and difficulties for footballers. He is keen to provide the teenagers with an alternative route to employment if football does not work out, has already helped part-time footballers and believes those who retire should be helped find a career path.

"I have a firm belief that there must be something we can do to help footballers to get a job. Many of them would not get past registration in a recruitment company because they have no qualifications, no past experience. But I believe they have transferable skills, I believe they have something to offer,” he says.

Manley set up Spohrt two years ago and is confident it can work with players, the authorities and clubs. The scheme would work on players paying a registration fee of “about £30 a month” and a service covering training and advice would be tailored to individual needs.

“Nobody is offering what we are offering,” he says. “I work with some very big clients. I can put people into jobs,” he adds.

He also wants to employ a footballer who can help the business find out the mindset and needs of the modern player. He also plans to offer clients advice with lifestyle issues.

“It can be a difficult life with some players at the moment with 44-week contracts and the part-time player also needs help to make ends meet. The player who has just retired can be confronted with the biggest shock. He may have been on a grand a week and in the big bad world he is not going to get that. We have to tell them: ’You need to start here’.’’

He points out that many players can become millionaires but the bankruptcy figures for ex-pros are alarming.

“I reckon this is something that could work and everyone who had had a look at it is impressed,” he says. "If it could take off, then it would help some guys who could struggle.” The real world can provide the most biting of challenges.