West Ham boss David Moyes admits Mark Noble is exploring off the field roles.
The Irons captain will retire at the end of the season.
Moyes said: "I think Mark has other ideas, maybe a role as a sporting or technical director rather than on the footballing side.
"We're already starting to use him in other roles behind the scenes, but he's going to have a massive part to play in the period leading up to Christmas particularly, where we will need lots of players for the extra games."
The Hammers will learn their Europa League opponents next week with matches starting in mid-September and Moyes said he will need Noble's nous.
"I hope that Mark will be in good condition, fit and ready to play in some of the games. We can use him because he has great experience to come on and help us.
"So he's far from ruled out of playing more. We're not talking about putting him out to grass yet, but we are preparing for life after first-team football."