Former Liverpool Striker Chooses Early Retirement at Age 31 to Open an Ice Cream Shop

According to The Sun, Hungarian footballer Kristian Adorjan, who once played for Liverpool’s youth academy, announced his retirement this week. At the age of 31, he is shifting his focus to a new career—running an ice cream shop in his hometown of Budapest.

Adorjan’s football journey began in 2009 when he joined Liverpool FC at the age of 16. Over the next five years, he demonstrated exceptional talent in the club’s youth teams and became the top scorer for the U21 team in the 2012-13 season. Despite training with the first team and participating in preseason activities organized by manager Brendan Rodgers, Adorjan never made an official appearance for the first team.

After leaving Liverpool, Adorjan continued his professional career abroad. He first had a loan spell at Groningen in the Netherlands, followed by a transfer to Novara in Italy in 2014. He then played for clubs in Albania and Ireland before returning to Hungary in 2021.

In the same year, Adorjan embarked on his business venture. He partnered with experienced ice cream maker Fabio Marconi to open an ice cream shop in the Óbuda district of Budapest.

This week, he shared some precious photos from his time at Liverpool on social media and officially announced his retirement. In his farewell letter, Adorjan expressed deep gratitude for football, thanking the sport for shaping his life. His retirement announcement received attention and support from several former teammates, including Northern Ireland international Ryan McLaughlin, who offered their best wishes and praised his talents and personal qualities on the field.