Sports agents juggle several duties at once, ranging from marketing a client's abilities to managing their social-media pages and websites. As a guideline, agents will typically:

scout for new and talented athletes and players at sports matches and events

find opportunities with organisations for athletes and players that are suitable for their age, level of ability and salary expectations

manage your client’s career in terms of marketing and endorsement activities

represent your client if there is a dispute between them and the organisation that employs them
act as a spokesperson for your client when they want to talk to the media

be on the lookout for better offers to match your client’s salary and long-term career aims

handle contract and salary packages

support your clients during times of personal difficulty, loss of form, or when they're feeling under pressure

A lot of the work will involve contract negotiation and making sure that contracts meet legal guidelines and are presented to clubs and organisations in the correct format. Some agents will use their own solicitor to carry out the legal contract work for them.

Agents might work for a sports agency, a law firm that specialises in sporting contracts, or they may be freelance. Some sports agents are employed by football clubs to recruit players on their behalf.

What Do I Need To Do To Become A Football/Sports Agent?

There are no set entry requirements to be a football or sports agent. To get started, most agents usually have:

work experience with a sports agency – contact agencies to see if there are voluntary placements or internships available

contacts within sport – you can build up your contacts by watching games and matches and getting to know club officials, and players, their parents and friends

legal knowledge – a lot of your work will involve looking over legal contracts, so you'll need a good understanding of contract law, and it may help if you are a trained solicitor

business knowledge – this is very important to the role, so you may also find it useful to study for a degree or postgraduate course in international sports management or business management

Related skills

Business management
Communication
Interpersonal skills
Numeracy

A football or sports agent negotiates employment contracts for the athletes they represent.

SUNNEW:
Sports agents juggle several duties at once, ranging from marketing a client's abilities to managing their social-media pages and websites. As a guideline, agents will typically:

scout for new and talented athletes and players at sports matches and events

find opportunities with organisations for athletes and players that are suitable for their age, level of ability and salary expectations

manage your client’s career in terms of marketing and endorsement activities

represent your client if there is a dispute between them and the organisation that employs them
act as a spokesperson for your client when they want to talk to the media

be on the lookout for better offers to match your client’s salary and long-term career aims

handle contract and salary packages

support your clients during times of personal difficulty, loss of form, or when they're feeling under pressure

A lot of the work will involve contract negotiation and making sure that contracts meet legal guidelines and are presented to clubs and organisations in the correct format. Some agents will use their own solicitor to carry out the legal contract work for them.

Agents might work for a sports agency, a law firm that specialises in sporting contracts, or they may be freelance. Some sports agents are employed by football clubs to recruit players on their behalf.

What Do I Need To Do To Become A Football/Sports Agent?

There are no set entry requirements to be a football or sports agent. To get started, most agents usually have:

work experience with a sports agency – contact agencies to see if there are voluntary placements or internships available

contacts within sport – you can build up your contacts by watching games and matches and getting to know club officials, and players, their parents and friends

legal knowledge – a lot of your work will involve looking over legal contracts, so you'll need a good understanding of contract law, and it may help if you are a trained solicitor

business knowledge – this is very important to the role, so you may also find it useful to study for a degree or postgraduate course in international sports management or business management

Related skills

Business management
Communication
Interpersonal skills
Numeracy