A football agent on realistic routes for released and grassroots players

If your child has been released, or has never been in an academy at all, it's natural to wonder whether the door to professional football has closed.

When Godfrey Torto joined us on Project Footballer, he brought both. A former Chelsea academy player who now works as an academy coach and a football agent, he spends much of his time with older players trying to get back into the game. His answers weren't always comfortable, but they were practical.

The honest starting point

Asked how realistic it is to build a career after a release, or without academy football behind you, Godfrey didn't sugar-coat it.

"It's very, very hard."

In his view, there are lots of talented young players in England and not enough clubs for them. A player without academy experience is competing against players who have it on their CV, and clubs are also looking abroad. He asks players what they're doing to take the shirt of someone already at a club - his answer being a top attitude and doing the extras.

But hard isn't hopeless. Godfrey's point was that mentality matters as much as anything. Some players go on one or two trials after a release, hear nothing and decide it's over. He described players he believed in needing as many as seven trials before something came off - sometimes at a bigger club than the first ones they tried. He was equally clear that trials aren't easy to come by, and that some people wrongly assume they are.

Play where you'll actually play

One of Godfrey's strongest themes was realistic expectations. He never wants to stop a young player dreaming, but he encourages them to "go to a level that you're gonna get in a team".

His reasoning is simple. A player who is in and out of a side at a level slightly too high for them never gets consistency and never builds a name. A player starting every week somewhere more modest gives people higher up something to watch.

He described one young player who came out of a Championship club's academy and, rather than holding out for a higher level, took a loan at step two of non-league. He played regularly in men's football, performed well and earned a move into the Football League. Others, Godfrey said, turn their noses up at that level and miss the chance to show what they can do.

One of our hosts compared it to building a CV in any career, and Godfrey agreed: "Go and prove it, get it on your CV," as he put it.

Non-league is a real route, not a consolation prize

Godfrey believes more players will come through non-league in future, because standards on and off the pitch have risen - better coaching, better facilities, more professional environments. Some step two clubs run their own youth sides, so a 16-year-old can become known to the first-team staff without ever having been in an academy.

In his experience, playing men's football at 17 or 18 can teach things that are hard to learn in under-18s football. He has seen some players come out of academies technically neat but a bit timid - not calling for the ball, not attacking headers, not looking for the longer pass. First-team football, at any level, forces those habits.

On money, he said pay varies hugely from club to club. At particular step three and step two clubs, players can earn anything from a few hundred pounds to over a thousand a week, but he was clear that isn't the norm - and many step two clubs are part-time, so players can work alongside.

What managers actually pick players for

For unsigned players, Godfrey said the first thing he looks for is hunger. Without it, getting into a club is very hard. Then comes a message every young player should hear:

"you don't have to be the best player to make it but you've got to do certain things consistently well"

He listed the things managers notice that have little to do with natural talent: talking constantly, organising, telling a teammate to turn, tracking back as hard as you run forward, pressing with intensity, and making good choices with the ball - getting a cross into the box rather than cutting back again. "Communication is free but it's so powerful," he said. Between two players at the same playing level, the better communicator is the better player.

Young players are often recruited on how they move, he said, but as they get older, managers pick the player whose choices and end product help win games.

Agents, and how to spot the red flags

Godfrey's understanding is that agents can't formally represent a player until the calendar year they turn 16, though he acknowledged that a lot goes on before then - and that pressure on families can come from inside clubs as well as from agents. Rules can change, so check the current position rather than relying on what you hear second-hand. He also suggested that if a younger child is moving between academies, parents should get independent legal advice to understand any paperwork, as terms agreed early can matter later.

On choosing an agent, his test boils down to "good person, good at their job". Someone who's good at the job but feels a bit shifty is, in his view, likely to make decisions that aren't in the young player's best interests. Someone lovely who isn't effective won't help when things get difficult. He stressed that it's the individual who'll represent your child who matters, not the size of the company.

The real test, he said, is what they'll be like when things aren't going well - after an injury, a release or a bad season, when there's no money to be made. He also felt the first questions families ask should be about how someone will help and advise their child, not whether free boots come with it. Asking to speak to other families an agent works with is a reasonable request.

As a general note of caution from us: before agreeing anything, check that any agent or intermediary is registered with the FA, and be wary of anyone asking for money upfront in exchange for "guaranteed" trials.

On parents acting as their child's agent, Godfrey was more open than some might expect. He's not against it if a parent has knowledge of the game and understands how it changes the parent-child relationship. His concerns are parents motivated mainly by money, and the network the job needs - if a player is released at 18, do you know which clubs to call?

Our take

What we valued most was the honesty. Godfrey didn't pretend that a release is a minor setback or that the right contact will fix everything. He said it's very hard - and then gave parents something concrete to work with: play regularly, at the right level, and build a record of performances someone can judge.

Agents can be a real help, particularly for older players who need someone with a network. But no agent can replace a young player actually playing well, week in, week out. Take your time, ask questions, and judge people on how they behave when there's nothing in it for them.

What parents can do

Prioritise minutes. A team where your child plays every week usually beats a higher level where they sit on the bench.

Take non-league seriously. Youth sides at well-run non-league clubs and men's football at 17 or 18 can be a genuine pathway, not a step down.

Expect setbacks. One or two unsuccessful trials don't mean it's over. Keep perspective, keep the effort up and keep going.

Encourage the free stuff. Talking, organising, tracking back and pressing hard cost nothing and get noticed by coaches at every level.

Check before you sign. Make sure any agent or intermediary is registered with the FA, never pay upfront for "guaranteed" trials, and get independent advice on any paperwork you don't fully understand.

Judge the person, not the pitch. Ask how they'd support your child after an injury or a release, and speak to other families they work with.

Ignore the comparisons. Boot deals and what other children have got are a distraction. Focus on your own child's development and enjoyment.