Ex-Chelsea starlet retires at 24 for new career in French Army

Updated: 26 Apr, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Ex-Chelsea starlet retires at 24 for new career in French Army

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Nicolas Tié has called time on his career at the age of just 24 - swapping the pitch for a new venture in the French Army.

Tié, who represented Chelsea for three years after moving to West London in 2017, joined the French Army's First Parachute Hussar Regiment on April 1, and he is ready for anything.

He has already completed rigorous tests to secure his preferred placement and is currently training intensively for the challenges ahead.

Choosing a New Life in the Army

Speaking to the French newspaper Ouest-France, Tié explained his decision to walk away from football and pursue his lifelong dream of serving in the military.

I lost my taste for football.

I'm athletic, I didn't see myself doing an office job. I always liked military careers, so I said to myself, "Why not join the army?"

My stepfather is a paratrooper in Ivory Coast. I used to go to the barracks to observe, it inspired me.

I've had some good tests and I've got the regiment I asked for. I'm ready, I'm training every day for this.

Tié has made it clear that he is ready to serve wherever necessary - even in conflict zones like Ukraine if required.

I don't do politics. I have committed to treating the problem at its source.

If the OPEX [External Operation] in Ukraine is launched, I'm ready. It doesn't scare me.

Reflecting on His Time at Chelsea

Despite the glittering facilities and elite training at Stamford Bridge, Tié found the road to first-team football blocked, and watching his peers break through elsewhere only added to the frustration.

There, I was always treated like the club's kid. I was upgraded in every category, from U13 to Premier League 2.

But I saw all my friends from Clairefontaine - Sofiane Diop, Benoît Badiashile, and Lorenz Assignon - making their Ligue 1 debuts, which made me want to try my hand at that level.

I didn't want to be that player who was loaned out for a few months to Championship clubs.

A Promising Career That Took a Different Path

Born in Lille, Tié rose through the ranks of Chelsea's academy, featuring in competitions such as the Premier League 2, UEFA Youth League, and U-18 Premier League.

Although highly rated, he was unable to break into the Blues' senior side, which at the time was dominated by the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Willy Caballero.

After leaving Chelsea in 2020, Tié joined Portuguese club Vitória Guimarães but struggled to establish himself as their first-choice goalkeeper over three seasons.

Tié also earned a call up to the Ivory Coast squad in 2018 but withdrew after picking up an injury. He was later selected to the Ivory Coast squad for the 2020 Olympics.

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