Reece Land is the founder and managing director of Next Gen Sport Solutions – a sports management company that specialises in elite women’s football.
Women’s Football Agent Reece Land on the Rise of the Game
Reece Land: Turning Dreams Into Reality
Reece Land was speaking at an innovative virtual press conference, where he along with three of his company’s clients spoke to the online media audience in attendance. The panel consisted of Charlton Athletic and Wales international Ella Powell, Sheffield United defender Ocean Rolandsen and Apollon Limassol forward Rio Hardy.
He has seen the growth of women’s football first hand and plays a key role in turning dreams into reality for female footballers who want to reach the very highest levels of the game.
Working With the Biggest Stars in Women’s Football
His company works with some of the game’s biggest stars- playing for clubs in the FA Women’s Super League, Champions League and over in the United States, and explained how some sound guidance from one of the sport’s most respected figures influenced what turned out to be a shrewd career move.
Reece Land said: “I remember a bit of advice I received from Arsene Wenger when he said ‘women’s football would be the next big thing’ – I thought I’d be stupid not to take it.
“That was a big factor in deciding to go into women’s football, but when I started, there were only handful of agents specialising in that area, so that essentially gave me a blank canvas to create whatever I wanted and make my own blueprint.
“Many of the players we represent now didn’t really have that end goal of being a professional footballer. Now that they have that goal in sight, we need to help the girls on their journeys. That’s what it’s all about for me.”
Commercial Growth of the Women’s Game
The commercial growth of the women’s game has been clear to see in recent years, with the likes of Barclays committing to a multi-million-pound sponsorship of the Women’s Super League, while Vitality was announced as the new sponsors of the Women’s FA Cup in September 2020.
Land has also seen his own company reach agreements with some of the biggest names in the motor industry, among many other high-profile brands, and believes there are now clear economic benefits of being associated with the sport.
“Three-and-a-half years ago, the hardest thing for us was to bring the big corporate companies into women’s football because they knew if they were putting £1 million in sponsorship, they were going to lose it all,” he explained.
“The commercial side of the sport is changing every single day, and you only need to look at who we’ve brought in, with the likes of Mercedes, Porsche and the O2 Arena. They can now see light at the end of the tunnel in terms of getting some return from their investment.”
The Growth of Women’s Football Agencies
The young entrepreneur wants to be a pioneer in his chosen field and relishes the task of finding ways to stand out from the increasing number of competing agencies working within the industry.
He was also bullish when discussing the prospect of working with other football agencies and highlighted the innovative initiatives which his firm is implementing – including this virtual press conference that was organised to raise the profile of his agency and client base.
“I will never work with another agent on anything – I’ve never needed to as we’ve got contacts in all the major clubs across Europe, so there’s no reason for me to ask for help from anyone.
“There’s not a sports management company or agent that can match what we’re doing. How many agents or sports management companies are holding events like this to drive exposure and increase awareness of women’s football? There aren’t any.
“When we started the business, there were maybe three or four agents working in the women’s game. Now there’s 500, so for us to continue being recognised as one of the leading sports management companies is always a challenge. That’s something that motivates me.”
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