Former Manchester United prospect Simon Andrews is now helping the next generation of stars after a career change.
In 1986, when legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of United, Andrews was just 16 years old and playing for the youth teams. He scored 41 goals in 58 appearances for United’s B, A team and reserves.
But he didn’t make it as a professional and was released three years later, explaining to The Athletic: “I just lacked that yard of pace that at the time was so important.
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“When I was told that I wasn’t going to be offered a new contract, it was a crushing blow. I’d invested my life into it but it was still an amazing experience, and the skills you gain from being in the most competitive environment are the most important things to take with you.”
After not achieving his dream of playing on the pitch, Andrews was forced to look elsewhere and landed in the world of finance. Monetary troubles are rife amongst footballers, particularly with younger players, whether that be through poor – or a lack of – advice or decisions and investments made by themselves that have backfired.
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And Andrews, now 54, has long been determined to help them out. He does that by working with football clubs to offer his knowledge and expertise, as they too recognise the issue is increasing.
Andrews works alongside former United and England captain Bryan Robson, whose weekly pay packet at one stage in his career was £2,500, the equivalent to £7,000 today.
As an indication of just how much money in football has changed, there are currently players in England’s fourth tier who are earning more than that.
In response to why Andrews does what he does rather than leaving it to the agents of the players, he said: “There are a lot of good agents and we work with some but, as in any industry, there are bad ones.
“Their link to financial advice could be an agent’s mate where they get a commission. Agents need to ask more questions for their clients, but who are agents?
“It was long an unregulated profession and they’re often brothers or parents or mates. Players become suspicious because they think agents only want their money, so they try to do it themselves.”
In 2004, Ferguson and Red Devils chairman David Gill were interested in what Andrews were doing. The Scottish manager was pleased that Andrews had switched careers and after a trip to Carrington, he trusted him with the young players.
Andrews offers both workshops and individual one-to-ones and still visits the academy teams of his former club. He helps players understands they’re targets for companies and looks to give them the control of their financial future.
His two best pieces of advice are to have a plan and to understand your tax situation. Andrews’ works hasn’t gone unnoticed and it’s now attracting attention from high-profile governing bodies in the game, such as the PFA and the Premier League.
He revealed: “They’re now working and communicating together, which wasn’t always so. They realise that this is important.”