Christian Vieri To Launch Poker Career?

Vieri considering switch to poker when his time on the pitch ends.

Italian football star Christian Vieri could become the latest sportsman to turn his attentions to the poker table.

Having quit Serie A side Atalanta earlier this year, the 35-year-old striker is currently without a club and has suggested that his future ambitions lie in the world of professional poker.

According to Reuters, Vieri recently told Sportweek magazine that although he is not quite ready to hang up his boots, a career in poker beckons.

"I enjoy cards a lot ... but my future is still in football. I will stop when I'm fed up chasing after a ball and I am not bored yet," Vieri told the publication.

"When I'm retired, who knows, I could become a professional poker player."

Once one of the most feared strikers in Europe, Vieri has played for 13 different clubs including Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Internazionale and Fiorentina. He also scored 23 goals in 49 international appearances for Italy.

In the UK, players such as Teddy Sheringham and Tony Cascarino have recently gone on to enjoy poker success at the end of their football careers.