Artell has started every league game for Crewe this season

Crewe defender David Artell is planning for a career in science once his playing days are over.

Artell, 30, believes his fellow professionals should do more to plan for life after football.

"We can be home for half two or three o'clock and we do have the chance to further ourselves in an afternoon.

"They need to do it because they could break their leg this morning and it could be all over, you need options," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

The former Morecambe man completed his Forensic Biology degree at the University of Chester this summer and is now studying for a masters.

Artell says he has always been conscious of the fact that football is a short career that can come to an end at any time.

He added: "I keep telling the young lads what they need to be doing, whether it be a 12 week course learning to be a joiner or a plumber or something more academic.

"I think with most of them it goes in one ear and out the other but that's probably because there's nothing to stop it."

Famously, 1966 World Cup winner Ray Wilson became an undertaker after football while England internationals Peter Bonetti and Neil Webb became postmen.

Many modern players choose to try and remain in football as a coach or agent but Artell says he was inspired to try something different.

"You'd tune in to Cracker or Prime Suspect and I thought, 'I could do that.'

"I know it sounds a bit shallow but it became a bit fashionable at the time and it just stemmed from that," he said.

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