Tuesday 11 September 2012

Choosing The Best Football Agent

By Anne Liew


If you are a gifted footballer looking to turn your talent into a well paying career, your first step should be finding a reputable football agent. A good manager can always negotiate contracts on your behalf, find out tryouts for you and even market you to different clubs, managers and scouts. Before settling on any agent, you need to be sure that he is experienced enough and has capacity of talking your career to the next level. With the right representative, appropriate training and some skills, your dream of being one of the best footballers can come true. Below are some factors that may be of importance when looking for a representative.

On top of the list should be experience held by the representative. Someone who has negotiated contracts for different footballers in the past is always in a better position to find you a better contract than one who has not negotiated any before. Such an agent is also likely to be in contact with several football teams, their managers and scouts. This will make it easy for them to find a team for you.

The service fee is another important factor. Sports agents are usually compensated a percentage of any contracts that they negotiate. Even though the upper limit is usually regulated by the law, the lower limit is always open. This means that a representative can charge as low as they wish. You should therefore compare rates charged by different agents before choosing one.

In most countries, sports agents are always supposed to be registered with the body regulating sporting matters in that country. This is very important if you want quality services. In case of any problem with your representative, it will be easier to trace a licensed representative than someone who is not registered.

The reputations of the firm you are planning to hire are also very important. You should inquire if they have been suspended, banned or even fined for any misconduct related to the game. There may be different explanations for these. However, you need to know them and be comfortable with the representative before entering into any contract with them.

It is also advisable to meet with the representative in person. This will help you gauge your compatibility with him. Compatibility is usually very important as he is one person who can either make or break your sporting career. You may also use this opportunity to ask him relevant questions that may enable you gauge how suitable they will be to represent you.

When preparing to meet a potential sports representative, it is advisable to prepare a list of relevant questions for them. The way in which he answers the questions may also help you gauge their suitability for the job. The more questions you ask, the easier it may be for you to choose a competent representative.

Sometimes, it may also help to hire a football agent who is a former footballer. Such agents usually boast of experience as being former players themselves. It is usually advisable to put everything that is agreed on verbally with the agent in writing. If possible, you should even hire a relevant lawyer to witness the signing of agreement with your representative of choice.




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