Michael Greenfield retires from the NRL with a premiership ring and a broken neck. And not much else.

From the moment he was chosen to make his first-grade debut as a schoolboy teen, Greenfield's life has been about footy. There was no fall-back option. So after footy was taken away from him last week - the result of a career-ending neck injury - he now faces the prospect of earning a livelihood without a trade or any qualifications.

Out … Michael Greenfield recovers from the hit that ended his career. Credit:Simon Alekna

''I'm 26 and not really qualified to do anything,'' Greenfield told The Sun-Herald . ''It's going to be hard to find someone to want to hire me. All I've got is footy and that's it. It's a tough one.''

The average lifespan of an NRL player is 43 games. Greenfield fell five short of the average during stints with the Sharks, Rabbitohs, Dragons and Storm. He is contracted to the latter team until the end of the season, but has no idea where the next pay cheque will come from. ''It's been the only focus for me throughout my life,'' he admitted. ''Now I'm not sure, it's a bit scary to think about what I'm going to do now. At 26 … I was hoping I wouldn't have to worry about that until I'm in my 30s. I don't have a trade or anything. It's something I really have to think about in the next couple of months because after October I've got to think about what I'm going to do for the rest of my life.''