O/T Why do footballer's feel the need to have 'football agents'

[Craig_J]

Why is it that any footballer feels the need to have a football agent? I just don't see how this helps a footballer at all. You may say "It helps them get improved deals" but surelly if a football club says "We'll offer you x ammount a week" they don't need an agent to tell them whether it's good enough for them? I mean, I know SOME (not all) footballers can be brain dead but surelly they themselves can still judge whether they're getting enough for themselves or not? If one of us are neogitating a wage we don't need an agent to tell us how much we need, we ask ourselves because we know better than anyone.

I don't see the logic for it. They sap away 10% or what ever it is out of the players wages and fee's and all they do is sit there saying "You should go here" or "That's not enough". Like any self respecting leach they try to drain as much blood as they can from their source. If their source ever becomes to drained they'll let go and find someone else to suck the blood from.

I've always admired Gary Neville for the fact that he refused to use agents in his career as he could see them for what they are. Say what you want about him, but there's no denying that he had his head screwed on when it comes to agents.

 

[Jordinho]

All they really NEED is some legal advice when negotiating contracts, but some are of course incapable of doing anything themselves and will have several people doing stuff: buying food, doing laundry, talking to press etc.

If you're at a good club and realize that you're getting paid an ordinary yearly wage every week you might also realize that you don't need all the crap that comes with an agent.

Those players that actually have a decent agent, who's helped them out since they were teenagers, but fudge off to some big name hotshot as soon as they make it big really tinkles me off. A lot of agents put in a lot of hard work for relatively modest pay, working for players in the lower divisions. It's the select few, extremely greedy, attention seeking tacos we hear about most of the time.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

All they really NEED is some legal advice when negotiating contracts, but some are of course incapable of doing anything themselves and will have several people doing stuff: buying food, doing laundry, talking to press etc.

If you're at a good club and realize that you're getting paid an ordinary yearly wage every week you might also realize that you don't need all the crap that comes with an agent.

Those players that actually have a decent agent, who's helped them out since they were teenagers, but fudge off to some big name hotshot as soon as they make it big really tinkles me off. A lot of agents put in a lot of hard work for relatively modest pay, working for players in the lower divisions. It's the select few, extremely greedy, attention seeking tacos we hear about most of the time.

I'm sure the Neville brothers never used agents and said how easy it was. Admittedly there two of the better players around in their day

 

[onlyme]

Some people are good at playing football, some people are good at negotiating deals.

 

[Alaric]

I thought I read Klinnsman didn't have an agent and once said, "I prefer to make my own mistakes". He did ok getting himself deals with Sir Alan Sugar.

 

[Ginola99]

I thought I read Klinnsman didn't have an agent and once said, "I prefer to make my own mistakes". He did ok getting himself deals with Sir Alan Sugar.

Ah, but could he have done better with an agent?? I have a little insight into this and the conversation is normally something like this..

Agent - "How much do you want from your new club?"
Player - ""£40,000 a week"
Agent- - "If you let me represent you I will get you £60,000, do we have a deal?"
Player - "yeah ok"

Who wouldn't let someone represent them if they could get them an extra £20,000 a week? Particularly if everyone else has one..

 

[metalgear]

same reason why you'd need a property agent - fear that you'd miss this bit of detail that would result in a huge unforgiveable screw-up.

 

[Jordinho]

The PFA offers legal advice to all its members. You don't have to pay some ****y mouth piece with zero education, apart from some official FIFA exam, a chunk of your earnings.

 

[Neymar]

I'm sure the Neville brothers never used agents and said how easy it was. Admittedly there two of the better players around in their day

Some of the Man Utd players clearly show why agents can be useful for footballers.

I think the neville brothers, scholes, giggs are/were some of the big name examples of players without agents. I'm not entirely sure what their pay packages were, but im pretty confident that they could have gotten more. Especially someone like Scholes. I doubt he ever got more than 100k a week. Considering his ability, thats very low imo.

Compare the above players to Beckham and more recently, Rooney. In Beckham's case, im sure his agent(s) played a massive role in making his "celebrity status". On top of that, he probably was paid far more than the likes of Giggs and Scholes at Utd; and you would probably have to attribute a big part of this to his agent. Rooney is on 200k-250k a week. Thats right up there with the top handful of players in the world. Imo, when he signed that contract he was a notch off this level, yet his agent saw an opportunity where Utd were weak (at the time, in footballing terms), and forced them into giving Rooney this worldclass salary. In both Rooney and Beckham's case, the agents played a massive role in increasing the player's pay.

Basically, footballers are trying to maximize their salaries, and clubs are trying to get away with paying the least (from a realists perspective).
The club has accountants, managers, etc etc all trying to value the player's worth. In contrast the player is on his own, and often isnt that great at valuing his worth. Thats where the agent comes in who are specialists at this.

 

[tommysvr]

I know if I played football I'd want an agent. I'm rubbish at talking money and would just accept the first thing offered.

 

[Amor]

I know if I played football I'd want an agent. I'm rubbish at talking money and would just accept the first thing offered.

Wait, you'll pay me how much a week to do something I already love. Where do I sign.

 

[greatwhitenorf]

Players need agents like humans need oxygen.

Players play. To play at the highest levels, they need to focus on the tiniest margins of timing and execution. That's what they're wired for. They rarely possess the ability to skillfully negotiate everything they can possibly get from a contract with a sharp businessmen working for a club.

An agent relieves them of all that responsibility and worry. Let's them stay in their preferred space and focus on what makes them excellent. Or on the tangible rewards for being excellent.

I deal with agents involved with football, baseball and ice hockey pros and prospects. Some of these agents have clients, signed over by their parents, as young as 14. There's stories aplenty of 12-year-olds being approached.(Geez, that sounds creepy, sorta like an Arsenal sleepover. Sorry.)

Part and parcel of the pro sports world today and not going away. The only thing that will improve Spurs bargaining position is winning.

 

[Modric THFC]

Roy Keane's agent Michael Kennedy was a lawyer by trade and refused to accept any money from Keane.

 

[Superted]

I know if I played football I'd want an agent. I'm rubbish at talking money and would just accept the first thing offered.

This. Don't forget for every Scholes or Giggs there are thousands of plodders looking to make the most out if a very short and volatile career. Would you really want to step into a boardroom with Levy and negotiate your own deal?

 

[Gilzeantoscore]

Agent dont just negotiate contracts. Some footballers are sub-normal and even rely on their agents to do their banking, pay bills, to organise work on their homes etc.

 

[DHSF]

Agent dont just negotiate contracts. Some footballers are sub-normal and even rely on their agents to do their banking, pay bills, to organise work on their homes etc.

Isnt that like getting a PA?

I think Players may need two things - a Lawyer and a PA. Everything else can be negotiated. In the real world, outside of football, I use agencies to get jobs but I always negotiate my own salary. I dont trust agents to act in my best interests - but thats just me.

 

[Bullet]

Aw come on lads, be realistic, it isn't just wages

There are signing on fees, bonuses for targets, appearances, goals, public appearances and the biggest thing of all - sponsorship and image rights

There's on way a 21 year old council house bloke could negotiate all that, often in a foreign language

 

[Jordinho]

Agent dont just negotiate contracts. Some footballers are sub-normal and even rely on their agents to do their banking, pay bills, to organise work on their homes etc.

And every time they're not picked in the starting XI the agent has to call the manager or chairman and complain about it.

 

[Millsy_Yiddo]

I guy I grew up playing football with has been playing in the MLS for a couple of years now. His journey to getting there was pretty long and complicated (he's coming 28 and only 'made it' to the MLS when he was 26). Any time he was out of contract his agent was basically there to help him find a club. For that kind of thing, I'd say an agent is pretty useful, but for the real top players who are never going to be without a club they aren't really needed. Surely players could just pay an employment lawyer to review and negotiate the contracts rather than having the added complication of an agent who wants certain percentages of the fee etc.

 

[AdamB]

Because most of them are as thick as brick