Lester on the good, bad and ugly of football agents

The Chesterfield boss opted not to have an ‘intermediary’ represent him in the latter stages of his playing career.

He says some, but not all, agents put their own financial gain before the interests of those they represent.

“I think there’s some good ones out there,” he said.

“You need an agent you really has got your best interests at heart.

“If you have an agent who is moving you around for money you might miss what is best for your development and your career as a whole.

“You need to make sure the one you pick isn’t just out to use you to make money for themselves and is there to guide you and help you to make good choices.”

Where an agent can really benefit a player, in Lester’s eyes, is when he’s lacking a good support network.

“I think they’re useful for players who haven’t got good people around them,” he said.

“If it is someone who has got a genuine care for you, I mean you’re expecting young players at 19 and 20 to make the right decisions and if their parents aren’t in a position to offer good football advice then a good agent might be useful.”

And he believes that choosing wisely is so key: “If they get a bad agent around them, I’ve seen it time and time again where that player can be affected with bad information, bad advice that has a massive detrimental affect on their career.

“You’ve got to pick the right one.”