Post by QPR Report on Dec 1, 2009 15:04:59 GMT
Says former QPR superstar Barry Silkman
Guardian
Agents have a vital role to play in football, says Barry Silkman• Silkman says player representatives are 'an easy target'
• Agents paid over £70m in a year by Premier League clubs
The agent Barry Silkman has claimed player representatives have a vital role to play in the game - after it emerged that they were paid over £70m in a year by Premier League clubs.
The sum was paid to agents by top-flight clubs from October 2008 to September 2009, the Premier League have revealed. It relates to 803 transactions with, unsurprisingly, Manchester City and Burnley the highest and lowest spenders respectively.
Silkman claims many players would struggle without agents, now that big-money salaries are the norm in the higher leagues. And he argued that clubs only mention agents when signings prove bad value for money, rather than when they turn out to be bargains.
"Agents are an easy target to pick on," Silkman told Sky Sports News. "If a player doesn't do well, a club can say ... we've paid too much money. When players do well that agents have recommended, that maybe before were completely unknown, you don't hear people blowing the trumpets of agents."
Silkman referred to the Everton defender Lucas Neill, who he persuaded Millwall to sign while the Australian was a teenager, after QPR turned down the chance. "As an agent, [it was] my ability to spot him as a player. He's had a career in England because I brought him back here."
He also stressed agents are crucial when it comes to negotiating contracts. "If you walk in and start to negotiate your own deal - which is time consuming - and you can't get what you want, it will affect the way you play," Silkman said.
"You'll think to yourself, 'I think I'm worth this, the club are only offering me this, and I've got to go out there and play every week'.
"Contracts are not done how they used to be, in 10 minutes. Contracts can sometimes take six months of negotiations. A player doesn't want to be involved in that negotiation."
Silkman admits some agents will look to exploit the wealth of certain clubs. "Some people would do that, it's the nature of the beast," he said. "You see a club who are spending an enormous amount of money and you think, 'I might have a player (for them)'.
"The player will have the last say but an agent can be very persuasive."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/01/agents-vital-role-barry-silkman
Guardian
Agents have a vital role to play in football, says Barry Silkman• Silkman says player representatives are 'an easy target'
• Agents paid over £70m in a year by Premier League clubs
The agent Barry Silkman has claimed player representatives have a vital role to play in the game - after it emerged that they were paid over £70m in a year by Premier League clubs.
The sum was paid to agents by top-flight clubs from October 2008 to September 2009, the Premier League have revealed. It relates to 803 transactions with, unsurprisingly, Manchester City and Burnley the highest and lowest spenders respectively.
Silkman claims many players would struggle without agents, now that big-money salaries are the norm in the higher leagues. And he argued that clubs only mention agents when signings prove bad value for money, rather than when they turn out to be bargains.
"Agents are an easy target to pick on," Silkman told Sky Sports News. "If a player doesn't do well, a club can say ... we've paid too much money. When players do well that agents have recommended, that maybe before were completely unknown, you don't hear people blowing the trumpets of agents."
Silkman referred to the Everton defender Lucas Neill, who he persuaded Millwall to sign while the Australian was a teenager, after QPR turned down the chance. "As an agent, [it was] my ability to spot him as a player. He's had a career in England because I brought him back here."
He also stressed agents are crucial when it comes to negotiating contracts. "If you walk in and start to negotiate your own deal - which is time consuming - and you can't get what you want, it will affect the way you play," Silkman said.
"You'll think to yourself, 'I think I'm worth this, the club are only offering me this, and I've got to go out there and play every week'.
"Contracts are not done how they used to be, in 10 minutes. Contracts can sometimes take six months of negotiations. A player doesn't want to be involved in that negotiation."
Silkman admits some agents will look to exploit the wealth of certain clubs. "Some people would do that, it's the nature of the beast," he said. "You see a club who are spending an enormous amount of money and you think, 'I might have a player (for them)'.
"The player will have the last say but an agent can be very persuasive."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/01/agents-vital-role-barry-silkman