Ex-Chelsea star ditched Match of the Day to become a PASTOR, supports Joey Barton, and claims women should be the ‘submissive helper’ in relationships

The transition from play to pundit is a well-worn path in football, and it was the path that Gavin Peacock initially seemed to master when he hung up his boots in 2002.

The versatile footballer enjoyed a distinguished 18-year career at the top level, most notably helping Newcastle gain promotion to the Premier League in 1993, before playing for Chelsea for three years after being signed by Glenn Hoddle.

After retiring, he quickly secured a role at the BBC, and Peacock regularly appeared on flagship shows including Match of the day, Football focus And To scoreimpressing fans with his knowledge of the game.

He also proved that Chelsea remained close to his heart by hosting a weekly podcast on their official club website.

But then his career path took a dramatic turn.

Peacock (third from left) appeared as a pundit on Match of the Day and Football Focus

Peacock (pictured outside his childhood church in Bexley, London) has undergone a dramatic career change and is now a pastor at a church in Calgary, Canada

Maybe we should have seen it coming. Peacock began preaching at his local church towards the end of his playing career after becoming a Christian as a teenager, and subsequently presented an article on Football Focus in 2006 about faith in the game.

There were signs he was thinking about spreading his wings from football.

Two years later he left the BBC to pursue a master’s degree in divinity at Ambrose Seminary in Canada, and has remained in North America ever since.

Peacock, 56, now lives with his 35-year-old wife Amanda in Calgary, where he works as a pastor at Calvary Grace Church.

Living on the other side of the world, it would be fair to assume we wouldn’t hear much from him again.

But Peacock threw himself back into the spotlight last month when he showed support for Joey Barton following his rant about female pundits and commentators working in the men’s game.

Barton made a fuss about the number of women hired to cover men’s football, while also ridiculing the quality of women’s football by claiming he could score 100 out of 100 penalties against England goalkeeper Mary Earps.

Joey Barton has criticized women working in men’s sports on social media

Barton claimed he would score 100 out of 100 penalties against England goalkeeper Mary Earps after her win as Sports Personality of the Year last month

Peacock has also claimed that there is a big difference between men’s and women’s football

He posted a supportive message to Barton in early December following his online rant

Peacock was only too happy to jump on board when he posted on

‘My answer is always ‘none’. The physical strength and aggression of any professional league would be overwhelming.

“That’s not sexist, it’s just a simple fact of biological difference.”

He then messaged Barton directly, adding, “Joey Barton (@Joey7Barton) has put his finger on an issue that others are afraid to talk about.

‘I agree with him regarding female experts & co comm. Presenting and interviewing are different.

“The whole thing is indicative of a broader societal woke malaise that doesn’t want to hear opposing views.”

Now that he has made his views on women in football abundantly clear, you don’t have to scroll through Peacock’s social media for long to know his views on women in society.

He was co-author The grand designa book that presents a theological view of gender roles in 2016, and regularly spreads the message online to his 20,000 X followers.

On November 13 last year, Peacock wrote on X: ‘A well-ordered home for unity and fruitfulness: a husband as loving head. A woman as a submissive helper. Children who are obedient to their parents.’

Peacock has posted his controversial views on gender roles on social media

Peacock also believes that ‘marriage is between one man and one woman’

A week later, he followed up with the statement, “Men set the tone and direction of marriage.”

Peacock took it a step further last weekend when he posted: “Marriage is between one man and one woman.

“A husband is the head of his wife and loves her as Christ loves the church. A wife respects her husband and submits to him in all things, just as the church submits to Christ.

“Children obey their parents in the Lord. A Biblical Family.’

He expressed his controversial position despite legislation allowing same-sex marriage in England and Wales in 2013 and coming into force the following year.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada in 2005, meaning it has been allowed in the country where Peacock currently resides for almost two decades.

Peacock (pictured with his wife Amanda) has expressed controversial views when it comes to gender roles in relationships

If Peacock had any ambition to get back into science, his chances of realizing that dream seem to be shrinking by the day.

With every misogynistic post that appears on their timelines, Peacock and Barton can watch their media careers evolve further into the distance.

But maybe Peacock is very happy with that. The man who once regularly appeared alongside Gary Lineker and co. on Saturday evenings seems to have changed beyond recognition.

It has been a remarkable career change for the ex-Premier League footballer, and one that now seems almost impossible to reverse.