Freya Clothier: The Football Agent Everyone Wants

Written by Josie Wise

Head of Women’s Football at Integral Sports Management Freya Clothier has turned her media and marketing background and her aptitude for people into an outstanding career as a football agent. She’s signed 14 football athletes across England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales since beginning in 2022 and continues to build her legacy. Among her impressive roster are names like Kate Longhurst and Laura Rafferty. 

Clothier travels to her clients around the UK to see them play. She said this is not technically part of an agent's job description but is something she truly enjoys doing and feels is vital to building trust with her athletes. 

“If I say I'm going to come to your games, I'll be there,” Clothier said.

Clothier also prioritizes checking in with each of her clients, she said. It could be as simple as a text after a game, but she wants her clients to know that she’s paying attention to their lives off the field and on. She strives to be an extra layer of support. 

“I don't want to sign players without being able to facilitate them properly, because that's not fair,” Clothier said. “And then you become what other agents are, which I'm not planning on doing at all.”

Clothier views her position as a woman in a male-dominated field as an advantage. This extra layer of familiarity helps her feel more comfortable with the women she represents, and vice versa.

“The main thing for me is when you just see your players absolutely buzzing with whatever it is and you’re a part of it,” Clothier said. “Whether that’s a new contract, a new deal, whether that’s them scoring or putting a great shift on their debut.”

Clothier said she never thought she would be a football agent. She went to school for sports journalism, figuring she would report or be behind the camera.

“I know the game, and believe I always knew I had to work in sport or football in particular because that's just what my life involved a lot of the time,” Clothier said.

She unearthed her passion for being an agent after being thrown into it and figuring it out as she went. Clothier said as she’s grown in the field, she’s found she truly loves the job to the point it barely seems like a job.

“I work an awful lot, but I say that for me, it doesn’t feel like work,” Clothier said. “I really want to do well. Me doing well means others are doing well.”

Clothier said she’s less concerned with finding the most talented athletes, and instead searches for personalities and work ethics that match her values. When she was younger, she played football but didn’t have half the understanding of dedication she does now, she said. 

“It might not always be the best talent at 15 that gets to the top,” Clothier said. “It's the one that works the hardest.

Clothier said she aims to operate differently than traditional sporting agencies. Together with her team at Integral Sports Management, she focuses on building authentic relationships with her clients. For her, each player is much more than a number or another contract to get signed. She said the best part of the job is seeing her players succeed and physically being there to be a part of it.