A FORMER Swindon Town hero is making a successful career in business for himself after retiring from the game.

Goalkeeping club legend Fraser Digby has joined a Swindon-based events management company.

A BBC television documentary this week featured TV pundit Alan Hansen interviewing former players. It revealed the problems they have when age or injury calls time on their career. The programme contrasted two former England heroes a forlorn Paul Gascoigne and successful TV presenter Gary Lineker.

Fraser, 38, who was once on the books at Manchester United, seems to be firmly among the successful minority.

His appointment at Inspire Events, based in Cheney Manor, will see him organising events in Swindon and elsewhere in the country.

He said: "It's always difficult for a footballer to decide what direction they want to go, following a career in sport.

"I wanted to pursue a career in business and Inspire has great potential and some great ideas for the future, so I am feeling very at home."

He retired from full-time football three years ago when his contract at Queens Park Rangers finished.

He was briefly lured back into the game at Kidderminster Harriers in 2003, but has mainly been concentrating on his business career.

He said: "When you get older, football clubs want to haggle your wages down, and I didn't really want to wind up in somewhere like Peterborough or Carlisle."

Three years ago Fraser turned to Swindon Town chief executive Mark Devlin for advice and managed to secure a marketing job at the club, which he played for between 1986 and 1998.

He said: "I spent 12 years at Swindon Town as a footballer and had a good relationship with the fans.

"I thought I could do a good job on the public relations and marketing side.

Fraser says his past career has been a great help in his recent jobs.

"I could get my foot through doors other people couldn't," he said. "The barriers tend to come down with a professional footballer.

"I want people to remember me for my football, but it's the business side I want to excel at these days."

He will now be dividing his time between his work with Inspire Events and his role as marketing director at Millennium Radio Cars in Swindon. He also works part-time at Swindon Town as a goalkeeping coach.

Fraser lives at Ogbourne Maizey, near Marlborough, with his Swindonian wife Tracy and their three sons Joshua, 15, Remi, 13, and five-year-old Emile.

He served his apprenticeship with Manchester United, playing alongside stars such as Kevin Moran and Frank Stapleton, before moving to Swindon Town in 1986, where he was chosen three times as the Evening Advertiser's player of the year. This feat has only been equalled by Shaun Taylor.

David Andrew