AS Paul Clough plots a promotion bid with the Bulls this year, he is already looking ahead to the next chapter of his life.

The former St Helens prop is working towards becoming a qualified financial advisor, a career he intends to take up full-time when he eventually hangs up his boots.

The 27-year-old, who plans to continue playing rugby league for some time yet, is among a growing band of players who have a sideline away from the game.

Clough is currently studying for a diploma in financial planning thanks to his long-standing relationship with his old Blackbrook amateur club coach Tommy Frodsham, who runs Rochdale-based firm Upfront Financial Services.

Frodsham, a former stand-off at Saints, asked Clough to become an ambassador for his Have a Heart charity, which raises money for Cardiology Diagnostic machines and portable defibrillators.

If a child or adult has a cardiac arrest, each minute that passes before they can be treated with a defibrillator lessens their chance of survival.

Clough explained: “Tommy had a very bad heart attack and a quadruple heart bypass, so he set up Have a Heart with another friend of his called Chris Hale, who had also undergone major heart surgery.

“Tommy used to coach me and asked ‘would you be the ambassador?’ and I would do anything for him.

“He has helped me out in my rugby career as my coach and now he is also helping me to train to become a financial advisor and work for him one day.

“He has been nothing but great to me and there is nothing in it for him – everything he has done has just been to help me.

“When he asked me to be ambassador for Have a Heart I said I would be more than happy to.

“It’s for a good cause, raising money for defibrillators for young sporting teams, which is obviously important for health and safety reasons.

“These machines cost a fair bit of money so Tommy and Chris have done very well to raise a lot of funds to buy them.”

Clough, who made his debut for hometown club St Helens almost a decade ago, combines his playing and ambassadorial commitments with his financial studies.

He added: “I’m working towards my finals for my diploma in financial regulated services, which I’m doing with help from the Rugby League Cares charity.

“They have part-funded it along with myself so I have been getting first-hand experience with Tommy’s company, Upfront Financial Services.

“I think we’re in a privileged position to play rugby but it’s a short career and it could be over in an instant.

“You’ve got to try and back yourself up for when you finish playing and also we don’t work nine to five.

“I’m not saying it’s an easy job but we do get a bit of free time here and there with days off in the week.

“I think if you are bettering yourself away from rugby by studying, then it’s just a smart option these days.

“Hopefully I will have completed the course this year, which will be three years since I started it and will actually put me ahead of schedule.

“When that’s finished, hopefully I can work towards becoming a chartered financial advisor after that, which is another step on the ladder.

“I got a three-year deal at St Helens and thought ‘I’ve got a three-year deal, so I might as well do something with it’.

“That’s when I started studying and now I’ve signed for Bradford for two years, it gives me a little more time to play with.

“That’s how I look at it; whatever length of contract I sign, I’ll set my education goals around that.

“Rugby is my job and that comes first, but I’ll get experience by all means, going out and seeing clients with independent financial advisors.

“But rugby is first and my financial advisor role comes second. I’m planning on living for a while after I’ve finished playing rugby, so there will be plenty of time for the financial work then.”

Clough joined the Bulls after leaving St Helens at the end of last season, the majority of which he spent on loan at Widnes.

He made his Super League debut in July 2005 against Hull and then picked up a Challenge Cup winners’ medal in 2007 and 2008, making a total of 189 appearances for Saints, scoring 24 tries.

“I grew up watching St Helens in what was a very successful time at the club,” remembered Clough.

“Then I ended up playing in a team with the likes of Keiron Cunningham, Sean Long and Paul Wellens – the guys I watched as a kid.

“They became my team-mates and my friends, which was a great honour. But that’s gone now.

“In a few years’ time, I’ll look back on my St Helens career and think ‘they were good times’.

“I just want to create a lot of great memories here at Bradford so hopefully I can look back and say ‘I really enjoyed my time at these two clubs and I was successful at both’.”