'I got banned for spitting at Steven Gerrard in a match – now I make cheese for a living'

He’s is country’s leading all-time goalscorer who graced stages like the Bundesliga and Euro 2004, but now Alexander Frei is turning to the cheese industry to make a living. The 45-year-old has been out of football since leaving his role as manager of Swiss Challenge League side FC Aarau in March this year.

He remains revered in his homeland though, after scoring 42 goals in 82 games for Switzerland.

Frei also won four Super League titles with Basel, and was a success with Borussia Dortmund where despite injury problems, he scored 34 goals in 74 league games between 2006 and 2009.

But he’s remembered on English shores for a more notorious reason. The striker played against the Three Lions at the Euros 20 years ago, a game where Wayne Rooney scored twice to inspire Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side to a 3-0 win.

And frustration got the better of Frei that day, who was charged by UEFA afterwards for allegedly spitting towards Steven Gerrard. He was duly given a three-match ban for his behaviour, but did go on to play a pivotal role as the Swiss reached the last-16 of the World Cup two years later.

Now however, he’s set to serve his country in a different way. Fire has just completed a four-month course run by the Switzerland Cheese Marketing organisation, achieving a diploma as a cheese sommelier.

This means he is now eligible to work in the industry, and Frei has lauded the experience so far. “The course was very interesting, and something completely new for me,” he said, via The Sun.

“I learned everything about milk consistency, cheesemaking and consumption.  I have always been a big cheese fan,” he said. “It was very impressive to see everything that goes into it.  The course took four months, and I had to take four exams at the end.

“The SCM invited me on it while I was still FC Aarau’s coach, and when I left the job in March I approached them as I had more time on my hands. I won’t open a cheese shop straight away, but I will definitely do something with cheese next year.”

Frei, who struck a famous Champions League winner for Basel against Manchester United in 2011, has insisted he won’t be getting carried away with his initial work. However, he does have lofty ambitions once gets used to the industry.

Speaking further about his shop plans, he added: “It will be small-scale at first – but I will think big about the future.”