Footballers who broke Hollywood – from Beckham and Cantona to Zlatan and Zidane

FOOTBALL is a notoriously short career, with most players forced to retire before they are 35.

It's not surprising, then, that some turn to the big screen to launch a second career - with many Premiership legends heading to Hollywood to make their fortune.

But the movie world is a tough nut to crack - and only a handful of footballers have made it.

Ian Wright is the latest to make movie news starring in the Netflix film The Kitchen, released this weekend.

He follows in the footsteps of fellow player Vinnie Jones whose hard man roles, in the likes of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, are now more memorable than his football.

Here we look at the football stars who have made it to Hollywood - and one who has a THIRD career as a singer.

Vinnie Jones famously broke into America by appearing in Guy Richie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

The 59-year-old, from Watford, was still playing football when he was cast in the 1998 British gangster film.

Vinnie, who is worth at least £7million, used his reputation for aggression on the pitch to help him land hardman roles on the silver screen.

He was infamously pictured grabbing Gazza's testicles during a 1988 game between Wimbledon and Newcastle.

But Vinnie is now best known for his acting after appearing in Hollywood hits such as Mean Machine, Gone in 60 Seconds and X-Men: The Last Stand.

David Beckham made America his home in the final years of his footballing career after signing a £128million five-year contract with MLS team LA Galaxy in 2007.

And rubbing shoulders with Hollywood A-Listers obviously inspired Golden Balls to try out a bit of acting himself.

Just like Vinnie, Becks, 48, worked with Guy Ritchie on the 2017 blockbuster King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

He had a cameo role