Manchester United full back Gary Neville has criticised modern-day footballers who allow agents to have too much of an influence on their careers and on their lives in general.
Only a week ago, both Sir Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp voiced their annoyance at how the ‘money-men’ are having a negative effect on the game – and now Neville has had his say.
Neville, a staunch supporter of the PFA, said: “It is one of my pet hates when I see players who have agents doing everything for them.
“They don’t know how to set up their own bank account, they don’t know what they are spending their money on and they can’t make their own decisions.
“Not every player is like that but some are now totally dependant on agents and advisors. For me life is an education and you learn things as you go through it.”
The England international added: “I think a footballers should sit down and negotiate with a club, even if his agent is sitting with him. It is in a player’s best interests to be there and see what’s going on.
“The idea of allowing someone to look after your financial and professional existence is something I don’t agree with.
There are some agents who do a good job looking after players, but there are others who stifle and mollycoddle players.
“Some agents will come into a player’s life when he is 20, leave his life at 34 and never want to know that player again.
“Every footballer needs an adviser at some point. But a player doesn’t need to pay between five and 15 per cent of his wages to a guy to set him up a bank account, buy him a new fridge, or ask his club’s chief executive for a pay rise.”
