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How to become a Football Agent

by Tom Bunkham

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What do they do?

To succeed as a Footballer takes great skills, hard work and determination. It also doesn’t hurt to have an excellent Agent…

Football Agents handle all aspects of a player’s career, from helping decide which club they choose to play for, to ensuring they’re being paid enough for their service.

It can be extremely rewarding, especially for those who are good at the job. And with anywhere between 5% and 10% of a players contracts generally being paid directly to them, extremely lucrative.

Typical duties for a Football Agent may include:

Managing transfers on behalf of their players
Negotiating contract renewals
Handling marketing and media enquiries, including endorsements and sponsorship opportunities
Supporting players with personal issues, and handling any grievances they have with the club
Completing all necessary paperwork
Scouting potential clients
Babysitting (as and when required)

Is it right for me?

To be successful as a Football Agent, a good knowledge of the market (such as average transfer fees, wages, bonus packages etc.) will be key.

It’s important you know that the market for a player is, not to mention the needs of each club in the required league. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t as simple as making a few calls and cashing in. If that was the case, more players would simply represent themselves and cut-out the middle-man.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that most Agents operate independently, making self-motivation a similarly vital characteristic.

Other key skills include:

- Confidence
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- A good understanding of contract legalities (one reason so many Agents used to be Lawyers)
- Trustworthiness and tact
- A passion for the beautiful game

What's it really like?

In a nutshell? Not easy. Aside from knowing your stuff about the market (similar to the famous London cabbie ‘knowledge’, although seemingly far less impressive), you need to be able to have complete trust in you from the player. Without this they can drop you at any time, which hits especially hard when you’re self-employed. Dealing with fragile egos can be tough, but build up a good client-base and you’ll bring in serious money. All whilst getting to watch a few games of football. Lovely.