How to make a career in football

 

If you want to make a career in football but you aren’t the most talented player, then we’ve got some good news for you – it doesn’t matter.

Playing is only a small part of what is a billion-pound industry. Because of the sheer size and popularity of football, there are hundreds of other roles in the sport in which you can carve out a career.

The question then is how to do so? How can you make a career in football, combining your passion for the game with full time employment?

Here are four steps to set you in the right direction.

Decide what you want to do

Identifying the career that you want in football is the most obvious place to start. Because the industry is so big, chances are there will be a role within it somewhere which fits your skillset and what you are good at.

On the playing side, coaches impart their knowledge and help players develop. There are plenty of opportunities available in these sorts of positions as every club from the top of the Premier League down to Sunday League Divisions who need managers and coaches, not to mention roles at professional coaching providers.

Those with an eye for talent and who are excellent at networking could look to move into the world of scouting. People with a head for numbers might find a position in football finance more to their tastes or perhaps analytics as the technological side of the game continues to grow. Physios and medical experts look after player welfare while there are roles available as agents, within administration, the media, diet and nutrition, marketing and PR – the list goes on.

To summarise, think of any career path or industry and there is a strong chance it crosses over somehow with football.

Secure the necessary qualifications

Once you’ve decided which route into football you want to take, then you can begin to secure the necessary qualifications to allow you to start your career.

Virtually every role that involves contact with players requires a qualification. Coaches must undertake their FA Level One at the most basic of levels while those with desires to reach the very top will eventually progress to the UEFA Pro Licence.

All agents have to be authorised to work through a FIFA scheme and it goes without saying that anybody wanting to take up a career as a physiotherapist is going to need to be taught to the highest standards. As for non-playing roles, formal coaching qualifications may not be as stringently required. However, more and more Universities are identifying the demand for football-related studies and diplomas.

If you want to work in the media for example, then a formal NCTJ or sports writing qualification might be deemed preferable by a potential employer, but more impressive will be a decent portfolio of writing and experience. Which brings us nicely onto…

Gain relevant experience

There are two main reasons as to why having relevant experience will help you make a career in football. The first is because those who have already worked in a similar role or within the industry before are more likely to know what they’re doing, just like with any job.

The second is possibly a little undervalued by those looking to move into football – it shows your love of the game. This is particularly true if you’ve gained that experience at grassroots level or as a volunteer showing that you’re willing to give up your free time to work in football, it suggests that a full time, permanent role would represent much more than just a career to you.

That makes volunteering a powerful thing. What better way is there to get an experience that will serve you well in the long run than by helping out a local club who may desperately need your support? It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Find and apply for the right jobs

Once you’re qualified and have gained some experience, you’ll be in a position whereby you can start applying for jobs in football. There are a number of websites that specialise in roles within the industry which are worth looking at, including JobsInFootball.com. You can also approach various bodies direct to see what opportunities exist.

It can be quite a competitive industry, so don’t lose heart if at first you don’t succeed. After all, a job in the beautiful game will be well worth fighting for.

What jobs are there in football?

Football is about so much more than the 22 players who do battle on the pitch for 90 minutes every weekend. As the industry grows, there are countless new job opportunities cropping up in a whole host of different sectors, ranging from the professional game to grassroots level or even in the recreational sector of the game.

As a result, there has probably never been a better time to try and seek employment in the football industry. Here are just four of the jobs available in football.

Coach

Football coaching is a booming business across multiple levels of football. At the very top of the game, opportunities exist to coach full time at professional clubs with both senior and academy players, regardless of what sort of playing career you had. Thanks to the likes of Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, the notion that you had to have been a successful player to be a successful manager has long been disproved.

Away from elite level, football coaching academies are growing in popularity as more and more children decide they want to take up the sport. At We Make Footballers, we are always looking for new coaches to join our brand and for those who have dreamed of owning their own football coaching business.

Even at the most basic grassroots level, coaches are in high demand. You might only be able to afford to give up a couple of hours a week to the sport, but that will still be hugely appreciated by those who are the lifeblood of the game, turning out every Saturday or Sunday whatever the weather to play just out of love.

Scout

If you’ve got an eye for talent, then you could turn your skills towards finding the next Harry Kane or Jadon Sancho. Because of the desire of clubs to secure the best young talents for their youth programmes, becoming a scout can be profitable and extremely rewarding work.

Sure, the hours can be long as you watch countless young hopefuls take part in matches. But there really is no better feeling than discovering a real talent, helping them start their journey towards the dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Many of our We Make Footballers franchisers combine their coaching work with scouting. For us, it’s a great way to boost the prospects of the best young players who come into their academies by forging links with professional clubs in this manner.

Administration and Management

Away from the pitch, there are a whole host of admin and managerial jobs that keep the football world turning. Club secretaries organise games, sign on players and liaise with relevant leagues. There are similar roles involved with the leagues themselves and County Football Associations – football is played as much on paper as it is on grass.

If you’ve got a head for numbers, then the sport always needs financial experts to help ensure it runs smoothly. It’s well documented how expensive playing the game competitively can be for both clubs and individuals these days and somebody needs to collect the money and pay the bills.

Many of these roles will be a volunteer opportunity at a local level, however, paid positions do crop up at professional clubs as they require qualified people to run the different departments and branches that construct the modern club.

Media

Football has never been so accessible in terms of news and content to the general public than it is now, thanks mainly due to the internet and social media.

Virtually every football club, league, governing body and the majority of players have Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts and there are countless websites dedicated to coverage of the sport.

All of these outlets require people to run and write for them, which is where those working in football media come in. Whether it is volunteering your services to tweet about your local non-league team or being paid to write articles for a reputable footballing news and opinions site, there are lots of opportunities to become part of the media world.

Many of those will initially be on unpaid basis, but by gaining experience and earning a reputation for yourself, you could soon find somebody is willing to pay you for your work. It’s another great way to get involved with football.

How can I recruit players for my youth football team?

 

Whether you are trying to start a new football team or simply looking to boost the numbers of an existing one, player recruitment can be one of the more challenging aspects involved in running a club.

It’s important though. Not only do new players give you more options but they can also help to improve and freshen up a squad by bringing in talent and enthusiasm. In addition to this, they will also create a larger community network within your club.

If you’re struggling to find new players or you just need some ideas for how to get new faces on board, here are four ways to recruit for your youth football team.

Get your club active on social media

The power and reach of social media is astonishing. Over 78% of British internet users have a Facebook account, 47% are on Twitter and 42% have Instagram. If your club doesn’t have an account on any of these platforms, then that is something you need to seriously look into.

Your club can use social media to reach and attract new players in a way that really isn’t possible with any other media. Encourage existing players, your friends and family to share your page and posts about recruitment. You can even ask your respective County FA or league if they can harness their social media following to help.

It costs nothing to post an advert looking for new players and it can be done in a matter of minutes. If it results in just one new recruit, then that makes it worthwhile.

Set up links with a football academy or school

Setting up links with a local football academy can allow you to tap into a whole host of players in the local area. At We Make Footballers, our academies are always open to forging partnerships with clubs as they are mutually beneficial for both parties and help create pathways for players in the game.

From the club’s point of view, it’s a way of accessing new players as well as giving existing ones the opportunity to undertake further professional coaching. From the academy’s point of view, it’s a chance to get individuals playing football for a team in a competitive environment.

You can also connect with schools through the FA’s School Club Links guide, which helps to partner grassroots clubs with local schools and colleges.

Run open training days, tournaments and events

 

An open day is a brilliant way to help you showcase your club and everything you are about. Pick a date and advertise the day well in advance through posters in the community, social media updates and contact with a local newspaper.

On the day itself, you should look to host a fun event that is a real celebration of football. It needs to inspire people to get involved with the sport and your club, no matter what their ability level.

Set up some friendly matches, offer some free coaching and make things as casual and fun as possible – it goes without saying that the more a player enjoys themselves, the more likely they will be to join.

And that’s the most important part – signing people up. Have a sign-up zone and make it as quick and easy as possible for interested players to leave their details for you.

Create relationships with other clubs in your area

A relationship with another club in your area can not only help your recruitment drive but it can also make you a more attractive proposition for players.

Let’s say you form a link with a local non-league club to become a junior partner with them. They can use their extensive following and name to advertise for new players on your behalf. In return, the link gives them access to your most talented individuals when the time comes for them to step up a level or into adult football.

That link also provides a clear footballing pathway for ambitious players. If they can see that by joining you, there’s the potential to take their career forward with a senior team, then that makes your club a much more attractive option.

Will technology change how children play football?

 

Technology and football. It’s a subject that needs no introduction. The Premier League has had goal line technology for a couple of years now and it is set to be joined by VAR ahead of the 2019-20 season.

VAR itself is hugely controversial, especially after a summer littered with high-profile incidents across the Women’s World Cup, the European Under 21 Championships and the UEFA Nations League Finals.

Now, nobody is expecting VAR to start popping up in youth league football across the United Kingdom anytime soon. But there are other technologies that could start to change the way our children play football in the very near future.

Artificial pitches increase participation

In case you didn’t know, the United Kingdom is quite a wet country. When the winter months arrive, that means that pitches turn into mud baths which prevent good football being played – presuming matches aren’t cancelled altogether due to waterlogging.

The FA have realised this and are investing vast amounts in 3G pitches up and down the country. The governing body even wanted to sell off Wembley and use the profits to transform facilities for grassroots football, a controversial and yet sensible idea that was eventually blocked by the FA Council. Schools are also building Astro facilities across the country which is also leading to higher participation rates in sport and a safer environment for children.

Still, the revolution continues as modifications to artificial pitches are improving the standard of these types of surface all the time. What’s more, they also encourage passing, possession-based football which can only be good news for the development of technically sound, young English players.

It’s not too hard to imagine a situation in the not-too-distant future when the majority of kids’ football is played on artificial pitches rather than grass.

Advances in video technology and analytics make it easier for games to be filmed

Once upon a time, the only time a kid ever got to watch themselves playing football was if a parent or grandparent had stood on the side lines with a shaky home video camera. Analysis would go as far as somebody stood within earshot, who would normally be moaning about every child on the team but their own.

Video technology and analytics has come on massively over the last five years or so. It’s now easy, cheap and affordable to have training sessions and matches filmed, even at youth level. There are companies out there who will offer this service as well as producing individual clips with a quick turnaround time, allowing coaches and players to analyse their own performances in real depth.

In theory, that should improve the standard of young players in the country. Being able to watch passages of play back and highlight areas which need to be worked on can help players develop both their skills and game management. It can also make for a pretty cool highlights reel on YouTube, too.

DashTag will turn kids into FIFA stars

DashTag is already proving to be hugely popular among young players in America. Although it is yet to take off in quite the same way over here, it does seem to be a question of when, rather than if, it will start to gain traction with British kids.

You might be asking what is DashTag? Well, it’s an app which can be downloaded to an Apple Watch or a specialist sensor and which records all kinds of biochemical and positional data during a game of football, which is then downloaded to the player’s phone.

Speed, mileage, time, acceleration, energy levels and positions are all among the data that is analysed, and most excitingly of all for kids, it is then turned into scores – giving them real-life rankings like those used in FIFA for their performances.

They can then share their scores online, allowing them to compete with their friends to see who had the best performance that day. With a growing number of kids more obsessed with building up their stats on computer games rather than kicking a ball around in real life, it’s hoped that DashTag and technology like it could encourage them to ditch the PlayStation and get out and play the sport properly.

Football is ever growing and ever changing, thankfully despite new technology it still remains the most popular sport. For the latest developments of the football landscape, take a look at our blogs and coaching articles.