Yes, Mike Ashley, the well-known businessman and former owner of Newcastle United, had a brief and promising career as a professional squash player in his youth. His potential to make a living through the sport was cut short due to an injury when he was just 16 years old. Following this setback, he shifted his focus toward business, starting by working in a sports shop at his local club in Maidenhead, an experience that eventually laid the foundation for his successful career in the retail industry and his later high-profile involvement in the ownership of professional football clubs.