Tottenham midfielder Xavi Simons has enrolled on a course at the prestigious American university Harvard while he continues his recovery from a long-term knee injury. The 23-year-old Netherlands playmaker has been sidelined since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in April, an injury that forced him to miss the World Cup.
Simons has joined Harvard's Crossover into Business programme, a course tailored for professional athletes to develop their commercial skills. The online course pairs athletes with Harvard MBA students to mentor them through practical case studies and enterprise management.
"I'm going back to school," Simons wrote on LinkedIn. "Football is still my main focus," he said, "but I also want to keep learning and improving away from the pitch." He added: "I've always been interested in more than just football. I want to understand the business side of the game better, learn from people in different industries and keep developing as a person."
Simons recently travelled to the United States to step up his physical rehabilitation while visiting Harvard's campus in Boston. "Getting back on the pitch is still my number one priority," he added. "At the same time, I want to use this period to keep learning and invest in myself beyond football."
Previous participants on the programme have included players from the NBA, NFL and tennis, including former world number one and two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka. In June, Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga took a short course at Harvard in the 'business of entertainment, media and sports' after being left out of France's World Cup squad. Sir Alex Ferguson, the former Manchester United boss, also took up a "long-term teaching position" at the university after retiring in 2014.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing