Parents/Guardian Advice

At My First Agent we pride ourselves on giving every player an equal opportunity to find a Football Agent that is right for them.

One thing to bear in mind is that football is a very fickle business. Of the hundreds of youngsters who enter the game at 16, only around 1 out of 6 will continue in the professional game past the age of 21. We don't bombard young players with false promises. We simply provide a direction and the tools to enable players to achieve their goals with their long-term prospects in mind.

IMPORTANT! Under the advice of FIFA, all footballers up to the age of 18 signing scholarship forms or a professional contract should have the written consent of their parent or guardian.

Advice for young footballers

It's all about attitude

For any football player to be in the game, especially at the youth level, you don't have to be the biggest, strongest or fastest to be successful. A positive attitude goes a long way in helping not only your game, but your teammates as well. Inevitably there will be losses throughout your career and the way you handle these affect not only yourself, but your teammates and fans also. Football promotes leadership and a good leader must stay calm under pressure, maintaining a positive attitude against all adversity.

It's not easy

For any prospective footballer there are many aspects which have to be monitored in order to succeed. Playing football at any professional level requires hard work, if signing a professional contract is the young players aim then the hard work will be worthwhile.

Hard work includes working on different parts of your game such as fitness, technique, tactical awareness and team work. No matter what your perceived level is, analyse your weaknesses and work on any aspects of the game which aren't considered your strongest, this will allow you to become a better all-round player. As professional football can be a relatively short career, players need to be at their best at all times in order for them to be recognised and not replaced by other players at youth level.

It's not just physical

In the current game many young players are released as teenagers, some are released before and after signing youth term contracts. Players who are released often find it very difficult to bounce back from such a disappointment, so all young players need to be mentally strong in order impress when given a chance at other clubs.

Some players stop playing completely once released, whilst mentally stronger players continue, working to improve and impress no matter how many setbacks they have. This mental fortitude and determination is very important for any professional player to have. If you have it, you are well on your way to success.