The Importance of Helping A Young Soccer Player Develop His / Her Career

According to the former Head of Talent Identification at the English Football Association (Richard Allen), only 1 in 200 amateur football players under the age of 9 that are signed by a professional club actually end up playing football at the highest level.*

Furthermore, being released by a club can also have a harmful impact on some young players. Therefore, it is in a young player's best interests that they receive as much support as possible during their period of training in order to improve their prospects of succeeding. In the event that a player fails to secure a professional contract with a club, the support shall help better prepare them for a career other than being a professional footballer.

THE LESSONS AN AMATEUR PLAYER / PARENT LEARN CAN FROM THESE FINDINGS?

It is clear that having talent is not necessarily enough for a young player to succeed as a professional footballer.

 

In fact, we know from the testimonies of some of the best players to have ever played the game that they nearly did not make it as a professional player. Sadly, this  can be for reasons not connected with their ability on the field. 

For instance, Ronaldo Nazario, the Brazilian superstar, and one of the best players to have ever played the game was rejected by Flamengo because he could not afford the bus fare to attend training. 

So, who can a young player rely on in this type of situation? 

We can see from the development of some of the most talented players in the world that a parent / family member can play a crucial role supporting a young player to improve the prospects of the player fulfilling his / her potential by becoming a professional footballer?

Image: Erling Haaland with his agent (left) and father Alfie (right)

IMPROVING THE PROSPECTS OF YOUNG PLAYERS 

Many young talented players are spotted by scouts at an early age and luckily receive the best training and education to prepare them for life as a professional footballer.

However, many very talented players are not spotted by the worldwide network of scouts, or do not have an agent to represent their interests. Therefore, without any professional help, how do they showcase their skills and have any chance of success? 

The early stage of a young player's career is the ideal time for a parent or family member to provide the support and resources (if possible) needed to identify a suitable academy or training programme to nurture the youngster's talent 

We can see many examples of young players realizing their potential when a parent has provided the necessary support to a child during the early stages of their development.

In fact, many of these players are now the most talented and best paid players in the world today. In some cases, they are also still represented by a parent / family member as their official agent. 

PLAYERS REPRESENTED BY PARENTS / FAMILY MEMBERS 

We have listed below examples of professional players who are (or have been) represented by a parent ) family member: 

Experienced Players 

Lionel Messi - Jorge - Father and Agent

Neymar Jr - Neymar - Father and Agent

Kylian Mbappe - Wilfried - Father and Agent 

Eden Hazard - Thierry - Father and Agent 

Ilkay Gundogan - Ilhan - Uncle and former agent

Youth Players

Arda Guler - Guler's Father is his Agent

Jude Bellingham - Mark - Father and Agent.

WHAT CAN YOU LEARN FROM THIS?

Clearly, players who received support from a parent or family member have a better chance of succeeding, realizing their full potential, and securing a contract with a professional club. In return, they can potentially be paid very well for doing something they love.

HOW CAN YOU GET STARTED?

A parent or family member may not know where to start without any knowledge and / or experience about representing players.

Learn by taking courses / conducting research 

The lack of skills can be filled by taking courses online or reading books on relevant topics such as:

• Soccer (football) contracts;
• The rules governing players and player transfers; 
• The rules governing players' agents; 
• How to become a soccer agent; and
• The soccer academies and training programmes available worldwide, and other relevant topics.**

Find and appoint an agent 

Alternatively, a parent / family member can take a back seat and find and appoint a licensed agent to help the young player develop, and oversee the child's progress.  

However, if a player is under the age of 18, the parent or legal guardian shall be required to provide consent for the child to be represented as there are rules aimed at protecting minors. 

Partnership with an agent 

A parent / family member may also partner with an experienced agent to represent the young player. 

Image: Alejandro Garnacho signs first pro contract with United 

Regardless of the approach adopted, learning about the topics that can arise on a young player's journey to becoming a professional footballer, shall help those guiding the player make the best decisions to improve his / her prospects of signing a first professional contract and, moreover, enjoying a successful career as a professional footballer.

If you have any questions leave a comment in the section below. 

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* Source: Richard Allen, 'Football Talent Spotting: Are Clubs Getting it Wrong with Kids?', The English FA (2015)

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