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Lawyers struggle to substitute for football agents

The role of football agents is again in focus, with payments to leading premiership footballer's rising so are the percentages paid to their agents.

Which leads to the question, why players do not seek professional legal advice on their contracts?

Law firms are learning more about sports business and can more effectively represent a player at a fraction of the cost of an agent. Manchester United Footballer Gary Neville has previously stated that Players need good advice, from a solicitor or an accountant, hey don't need agents taking hundreds of thousands off them.

With so many legal elements involved in contracts, image rights and merchandising, a solicitor is better qualified than an agent to negotiate deals. And in the unlikely event of a player being involved in any unsavoury off the field incidents, a solicitor is best placed to handle the fallout.

Specialist sports Lawyers do not have to go through the FA's agent licensing process, they often working on an hourly rate rather than a percentage. There is also the respect afforded the lawyers' code of confidentiality, and far stricter regulatory bodies to protect them.

What the solicitor will not do is organise a players holidays, delivery of a new car or put his name on the guestlist at Glastonbury. 

But the biggest holdback for lawyers is the perception that agents have better football knowledge and that a solicitor cannot pick up the phone and call a manger direct.

Many players seem oblivious to the benefits a solicitor can provide which are vastly reduced costs more effectively represention and complete impartially.

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