Rob chats to 365 Football Management ltd. Director David Lavelle and asks him about his role as an experienced football agent working with successful footballers and football clubs.
He asks him about how he entered the industry, his first experiences in the industry, what he does day to day, how his role has evolved over the years, the journey of young players, the attitude of managed players and their family, the reputation and changing culture of agents and how trust is utilised in management.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- After seeing a football agent on TV and enquiring after the qualifications required, David studied during his time in the decompression chamber in his previous job as a saturation diver on an oil rig.
- People imagine a football agents job to be glamorous but it requires a lot of administration and client upkeep. It involves travelling and is quite pressed and high powered.
- When David started his career there were roughly 500-550 agents available. Then the criteria for becoming an agent became much easier and that number grew to over 5000. Currently harder qualifications are being discussed.
- Managing younger players involves managing the player and their parents expectations. Its requires hard work and social media confuses the issue and makes a signed young player think they have already made it.
- Sometimes family can involve themselves in contract negotiations and confuse issues due to lack of experience and the urge to protect their youngster.
- 365 Football Management Ltd does much more than function as football agents. They look after the interests and well being of their clients on a personal level and treat them as more than commodities.
BEST MOMENTS
‘It wasn’t a career I set out to do, if I’m quite honest. Believe it or not I was a saturation diver on the oil rigs.’ – David
‘It’s got to the stage where we had to make a decision either we run with it and I stick with the football or I take the easy route, or the steady route, and stay in the oil industry.’ - David
‘I’m a massive believer that even though social media presents people as successful, behind all that is normally years and years of hard work.’ – Rob
‘When the transfer window opens it’s what I call “silly season” because it’s not just necessarily sitting in the office 8-5 or 9-5 or whatever. There’s days where, especially towards the end of the window, there are 16 or 17 hour days.’ – David
‘Just because you’re at a certain club that doesn’t mean you’ve made it. You’re a long, long way from making it as an academy player.’ – David
‘I think now the games evolved that much, there’s that much money involved and that you need to nail the contracts. Contract isn’t just what you get paid per day or per week or per month or per year.’ – David
‘If we can help in any way, if we can alleviate any problems or any issues that’s first and foremost. And then with day to day living we have contracts throughout Europe in relation to car deals, house insurance, mortgages, financial advisors, all of which we trust 100%.’ - David
GUEST RESOURCES
David is an experienced football agent working with some of the biggest names in today’s game in England, Scotland and Europe.
As a director at 365 Football Management Ltd he is focussed on global client satisfaction and works with a carefully selected team of the finest professionals to offer clients amongst many other things:
• Club Sourcing
• Contract Negotiation
• Asset Management
• Legal Counsel
• Brand Management & Media Relations
• Lifestyle Management
David can be contacted on any of the following:
Linkedin
linkedin.com/in/david-lavelle-243438156
Website
www.365-football.com
E mail
david@365-football.com
VALUABLE RESOURCES
Leader Manager Coach Podcast
ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Ryles is a UEFA A licensed coach with a League Managers Association qualification and a science and medicine background. He has worked in the football industry in Europe, USA and Africa; at International, Premiership, League, Non-League and grassroots levels with both World Cup and European Championship experience
Rob Ryles prides himself on having a forward thinking and progressive approach to the game built through his own experience as well as lessons learned from a number of highly successful managers and coaches.
The Leader Manager Coach Podcast is where we take a deep dive examining knowledge, philosophies, wisdom and insight to help you lead, manage and coach in football, sport and life.
CONTACT METHOD
https://www.robryles.co.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMPYDVzZVnA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertryles/?originalSubdomain=uk
LEARN MORE HERE Football, coach: https://www.patreon.com/robryles
