Patrice Evra & Tommy Fish: ‘From Elite Player to Businessman; The Value of the Athlete Investor’ (Ep71)

Business of Sport

I love this game! To anyone who has an interest in sport and finds themselves regularly on social media, this catchphrase is likely to mean something to you, as is the person who coined it. Patrice Evra is one of the most decorated and stand out footballers of the last 20 years. Premier Leagues, Champions Leagues, his success on the pitch most famously with Manchester United is no secret.

But as his media profile has shown, there is more to the man than football. There’s a drive, focus, and application that runs deep, now being leveraged to build a career in business both in and out of the sport. The value of the athlete investor has never been more topical, and in this special show we explore it in a new way, as we welcome Tommy Fish, his business partner at emerging football tech start-up ‘PLAYER’, for a unique insight to how a top athlete can help create a business.

PLAYER is tackling one of the biggest challenges in football; the provision of access and opportunity for the sport’s brightest young players. Based on Tommy’s vision and Patrice’s crazy stories, this chat is full of education and entertainment!

On today’s show we discuss:

The Value of the Athlete Investor:

• Why are more athletes looking to develop their exposure to business opportunities away from the pitch?
• A deepdive into Pat and Tommy’s business ‘PLAYER’: The Linkedin for Footballers
• How can a business best leverage the experiences of someone like Patrice to develop their product and audience?
• Did players are Manchester United look to invest in businesses and how did Sir Alex Ferguson react to players having a focus away form football?
• The danger of players never been taught how to manage the vast amount of money they make during their careers.

Opportunities to Disrupt Football:

• Social Media: how the creation of an online presence and personality has provided Patrice with a whole new method of engagement.
• “Football has changed”...how? What is different now from the days Patrice was playing and is it a good thing?
• While there is lots good about the football industry, there are many ways the game needs to improve. What is PLAYER doing to be a part of the tech movement disrupting sport?
• Why the age of social media has created a new kind of footballer.
• Is there an issue with the emergence of ‘player as brand’ and taking influence and control away from management?

Creating the Right Mentality:

• “If you are a lazy person you are in big trouble”. The mentality that makes for the best players also makes for the best business people!
• Why in the year Manchester United won the Champions League and Premier League, losing the FA Cup is his resounding memory.
• What does a winning mentality look like and how can you build one?
• How was the culture of win at all costs instilled at Manchester United and what happened when Ferguson eventually left?
• When David Moyes was sacked, did the players look at themselves to take responsibility?

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