A guide for young footballers on how on to choose an agent

This article offers some practical tips (drawn from the author’s experience) on how to select a football agent. Specifically, it looks at:

• The challenges facing young players

• What an agent can do to help a young player

• How a player can pick the right agent for himself

• Points to consider before making the final decision

This article is aimed not only at players, but also their parents or guardians who may well play a crucial role in identifying, choosing and working with an agent. In England, a player is permitted under The FA’s regulations to sign a representation contract with an agent from the 1st day in January of the year of his 16th birthday.1 However, a representation contract with an under-18 year old player must also be countersigned by the player’s parent or guardian.2 In practice, it will often be the parent or guardian of a young player who liaises most closely with the agent and it’s therefore important that the agent holds the trust of both the player and his family.