Blissett, who played as a striker or a winger, has played at a number of teams, turned out for Romulus, Kidderminster, Cambridge, Hednesford, Bristol Rovers, Tranmere Rovers, Lincoln City, Torquay, Plymouth, Macclesfield, Solihull Moors, Maidenhead, Telford, and Stafford Rangers, and in February he joined Bromsgrove Sporting.

He has made over 340 appearances and scored over 60 goals during his career.

Blissett founded Dwello Mortgages last year to be a “trusted guide in personal finance”, having previously been a self-employed mortgage broker at AFP Partnership and a self-employed mortgage and protection broker at Concept Financial Services.

In its first year of business, the broker firm completed £5.6m in mortgage offers.

Blissett said: “The last year or so has been absolutely amazing, and I couldn’t have wished for a better start to my business venture. It has gone from strength to strength and we have a great team here committed to expanding our reach.

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“I have loved playing football and was lucky to play for so long with good friends at some wonderful clubs and in front of terrific supporters, but the time is now right for me to move on.”

 

‘Vital’ to ‘plan ahead’

He noted that Dwello Mortgages has “become more successful than I ever expected over the first 12 months, so it is the right time to hang up my boots and focus on the development of the business – it also provides a great opportunity to spend more quality time with my wife and son”.

“I believe it is vital for players who have been in professional sport for a long time to plan ahead for their transition, which is what I have been able to do. Retirement comes to us all and the professional sporting life doesn’t last forever – so it is important to think about the future and put plans in place for when the time is right for you. I’ve been lucky to be in a position to choose that now is the time for me.

“This also applies to other careers outside of sport, such as the armed forces. It can often be difficult to understand what normal life is really like outside that bubble, which can make the transition particularly challenging, so I would always advise people in that position to think ahead,” Blissett added.

He said that the “future looks bright” for the firm and he was “really looking forward to playing a major part in that” and wanted to see the business “become a driving force in the industry, while also continuing to play an active role in the local community”.