Jérémy Hélan, a French professional footballer (or soccer player) announced Sunday (Sept. 18) he is quitting the game at the age of 24 to devote himself to religion. The left-sided player is a devout Muslim. He plays for Sheffield Wednesday, with whom he joined from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee in July 2013.
Sportsmail reported Helan intends to go to Saudi Arabia after spending increasing amounts of time at a mosque in the city. He's reportedly also been helping out with community projects.
The player, known to be a private man, hasn't been talking publicly about his situation.
However, a source quoted in the Daily Mail stated: "It is the talk of the dressing room. Jeremy told them what he wanted to do last week. The club are a bit taken aback by it. They are working with him to come to some kind of agreement."
Other local sources indicate associates are speaking to Helan about his decision, including some who believe he should continue with his career in the game. Sheffield Wednesday representatives declined to comment.
Helan started the EFL Cup defeat at Cambridge last month, according to The Sheffield Star.
His contract with Sheffield Wednesday does not expire until the end of the 2016-17 season.
He initially was signed on a temporary basis by Dave Jones in November 2012, making his debut in a 2-0 home defeat to Leicester City. However Helan, after impressing across two loan stints at Hillsborough, signed a four-year contract.
The former product of Manchester City's youth system played 145 times for the Owls, scoring three goals, reports The Sun.
