Free Agent List Growing

Francie Barrett

Spotted this article about Clarke Carlisle, the Chairman of the PFA and a player who is currently looking for a club this season.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19405554

I am one of hundreds of out-of-contract professional footballers currently looking for a club and it is the most uncomfortable situation I've been in.

It is not a scenario I have experienced before and has been made stranger because I had one or two contract offers earlier this summer but turned them down. At the age of 32 and with media opportunities beginning to come my way, I was thinking of retiring.

Ultimately, and especially watching the opening weekend of the season and knowing I'm still very much able to play a good standard of football, I regretted that decision. I got back in touch with the clubs but, having declined their offers in the first place, I learned they had made other plans.

The two offers I received were 80-90% less than what I earned last season but, given how I feel now, I would have taken that. Anyway, it wasn't about finance, I was considering retirement.

Even though this is can be a lonely time for a footballer, I am far from alone in this position. The pool of free agents is growing year on year and this season it is huge because clubs are cutting down their squad sizes. Wage budgets have decreased massively.

Each club and agent I've spoken to say that Football League clubs are intent on reducing their wage bills. Clubs who are expected to be challenging in their respective divisions are not even offering half the salaries they were two years ago.

Clubs are becoming more responsible and business-minded because no-one wants to go the same way as those that have gone into administration.

I'm probably in a more privileged position than some, where retiring and moving into a different industry is an option, but it is a time of real anxiety waiting for the phone to ring; you have no income but you still have bills to pay.

The start of the season amplifies these anxieties because there is that finality about each club's squad. No matter how much training you do on your own, you are always going to be weeks behind the lads who have been doing squad training for pre-season.

It's also very lonely because, as much as you will talk to other players, you don't want to give out an air of desperation. There's always that element of pride and other players in the same position are your direct competition, so you stay a bit intrinsic at times.

At this stage of my career, you get those feelings of insecurity that maybe this is it: this could be your last chance gone.

As PFA chairman, I don't have direct involvement in helping players find clubs, but I do make sure that if anyone needs my number it's readily available. The union has an out-of-contract list that goes out to all clubs, so there is a direct avenue between them and the players.

Funnily enough, I've been a middle man a few times. I assume people think I have a contact for everyone. There have been clubs calling me about other players, which can be quite disheartening as an individual, but that's part of my role at the PFA.

Right now, I'm probably the least confident I've been about my own position, although I'm fit, available and open to offers.

I also know there is plenty of transfer action to come. The window is yet to close and clubs can sign out-of-contract players after it shuts anyway. That might be the time when players like me get a call.

The PFA have a list of out of contract players, I think you could make a pretty decent team that would compete in the Championship without costing a penny to buy and with a fairly low wage bill (well, Owen probably wants a decent wedge).

GK - Marcus Hahnemann, David James
LB - Ricardo Gardner, Lee Naylor
CB - Paul Scharner, Danny Gabbidon
CB - Hermann Hreidarsson, Steve Gohouri
RB - Gretar Steinsson, Michel Salgado
LM - Somen Tchoyi, Caleb Folan
CM - Nigel Reo Coker, Akos Buzasky
CM - Papa Bouba Diop, Martin Rowlands
RM - Giles Barnes, Patrick Agyemang
CF - Michael Owen - Emile Heskey
CF - Ivan Klasvic - Roman Bednar

Caveman1

Craig Gordon also, before Man United signed De Gea, Gordon was the most expensive goalkeeper in British football, surprised he hasn't being snapped up someone yet

Jax Teller

Paul Scharner has signed for Hamburg I believe .

Francie Barrett

Coletrickle88 wrote: »

Paul Scharner has signed for Hamburg I believe .

Didn't know that, the PFA list hasn't been updated - http://www.thepfa.com/transferlist

I am pie

Hahnemann could surely still do a job for someone ? Surprised Caleb Folan hasn't got a game somewhere ?

Leslie91

Craig Gordon wow.......

Chucky the tree

I am pie wrote: »

Hahnemann could surely still do a job for someone ? Surprised Caleb Folan hasn't got a game somewhere ?

Most likely all in the same boat as Clarke in that the got offers but didn't like the money so rejected them so teams moved on. As the season goes on and injuries will happen they'll find it easier and also might get better offers so could be holding out for that.

Equium

That looks like a team that Sam Allardyce would put together.

On another note, the British players should really consider moving abroad as a viable alternative to finding a Football League club.

JPA

David James would want to be giving it up at this stage.

Caveman1

Equium wrote: »

That looks like a team that Sam Allardyce would put together.

On another note, the British players should really consider moving abroad as a viable alternative to finding a Football League club.

Completely agree with this, with the amount of young lads being dropped by clubs and just settling for any club in England is a joke. there's life outside England

Beefy78

Most of those players on that list will likely have offers from clubs at the same sort of financial level, or more, than they'd likely receive abroad, at what is likely to be a lower-profile league and away from their friends and family. Some lads do go abroad - Scott Carson is out in Turkey now isn't he? But I can see why others wouldn't.

Dempsey

Caveman1 wrote: »

Craig Gordon also, before Man United signed De Gea, Gordon was the most expensive goalkeeper in British football, surprised he hasn't being snapped up someone yet

I'm not, he's injury prone but probably still wants a regular wage over pay as you play

Jason Todd

I see Giles Barnes there, he was the next big thing at one time wasn't he? Still in demand by the looks of things... link

Caveman1

Jason Todd wrote: »

I see Giles Barnes there, he was the next big thing at one time wasn't he? Still in demand by the looks of things... link

Didn't he suffer a bad injury a couple of seasons ago? seemed to put a halt to his progress

starviewadams

All injury prone/past their prime journeymen,wouldn't be offering any of them anything except pay as you play.

Doubt that many German/Italian/Spanish clubs would be interested in most of them either.Maybe a few lower level MLS teams would be though.

IvySlayer

Salif Diao and James McFadden too are free too.

Corvo

I know Craig Gordon had his injury problems, but that is a shocker

Caveman1

Griffin1988 wrote: »

I know Craig Gordon had his injury problems, but that is a shocker

If he can get himself fit and stay fit he'll be snapped up by a premier league club

Captain Havoc

I see Tommy Stewart on that list also, he's back at Rovers.

ScummyMan

Nigel Reo-Coker? I'm surprised at that, thought some Prem club or at least Championship club would snap him up.

Guy:Incognito

Man.UnitedLad wrote: »

Nigel Reo-Coker? I'm surprised at that, thought some Prem club or at least Championship club would snap him up.

Did he have a relegation release clause with Bolton or somthing? Only signed last year and I'd assume it was on longer than a 1 year deal at 27.


EDIT: From wiki: "On 14 May, it was reported that Reo-Coker had activated a relegation release clause in his contract and would be leaving the club on a free transfer, although nothing had been confirmed by the club themselves.[37] However on 18 May it was confirmed by Bolton Wanderers that Reo-Coker had activated the release clause and had left the club"

Bit short sighted to jump ship without knowing if anyone wanted him. That Bolton team should have been able to come straight back up if they all stuck around.

Dozen Wicked Words

Clarke Carlisle might be being slightly disingenuous as while the offers might have been 80% of what he started the season on, he didn't finish on that much. And the offer Northampton gave him was close to what he was getting paid on loan at the end of last season and he would have been club captain again.

I think he felt, possibly rightly, his standard is higher than league 2 and expected better offers.

Beefy78

Carlisle was also considering offers to move into the media, although it appears from the BBC piece that he's decided he wants to carry on playing.

Equium

Beefy78 wrote: »

Most of those players on that list will likely have offers from clubs at the same sort of financial level, or more, than they'd likely receive abroad, at what is likely to be a lower-profile league and away from their friends and family. Some lads do go abroad - Scott Carson is out in Turkey now isn't he? But I can see why others wouldn't.

Yeah, he's in Turkey. Kenny Miller picked up a pretty penny there too (£50k per week iirc) and he was hardly a world beater, so it is possible to earn good money elsewhere.

Completely agree with it being hard to leave friends/family, and not everyone would command big bucks. Personally though, I'd do it for the experience as much as anything else. Potentially challenging for titles in 'lesser' leagues would surely be more gratifying than signing for yet another also ran in League 1/2.

Francie Barrett

Francie Barrett wrote: »

GK - Marcus Hahnemann, David James
LB - Ricardo Gardner, Lee Naylor
CB - Paul Scharner, Danny Gabbidon
CB - Hermann Hreidarsson, Steve Gohouri
RB - Gretar Steinsson, Michel Salgado
LM - Somen Tchoyi, Caleb Folan
CM - Nigel Reo Coker, Akos Buzasky
CM - Papa Bouba Diop, Martin Rowlands
RM - Giles Barnes, Patrick Agyemang
CF - Michael Owen - Emile Heskey
CF - Ivan Klasvic - Roman Bednar

An LFC partnership 12 years ago, jaysus.

Kerrydude1981

rarnes1 wrote: »

An LFC partnership 12 years ago, jaysus.

England partnership from that 5-1 win over the Germans as well

Hammer Archer

I take some vindictive pleasure in seeing that Reo Coker is still unable to find a club. Bet Arsenal are delighted that we rejected an offer for him back in 2006.

CantGetNoSleep

No real sympathy here tbh, more a reflection of real life, some people get crazy salaries many others are unemployed. At least many of these footballers were paid an awful lot of money for a long time.

El Weirdo

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

No real sympathy here tbh, more a reflection of real life, some people get crazy salaries many others are unemployed. At least many of these footballers were paid an awful lot of money for a long time.

On that list in the OP maybe, but on the PFA site there's a lot of 18/19/20-year-olds that would barely have started their careers yet.

Beefy78

And to be fair, most of those guys on the list are there because they're being picking about how many zeros they want on their pay cheque. I doubt there's many in the OP who couldn't get a club tomorrow if they needed to.

Whippersnapper

I wonder how many followed Owen's example and created a promotional brochure highlighting his skills. Or was it a Powerpoint Presentation. Something about him being handsome was mentioned. Utd picked him up.

Spiderpig92

i know he is injury prone, but if could get himself fit, i would love to see Craig Gordon at Man Utd. When fit he is one of the best in Britain. If De Gea had a difficult spell like last year, Fergie would have an ideal man to step up with proven premier league experience. remember that Utd were in the market for him when he was at Hearts so Ferguson obviously rates him. Can't see this transfer happening tho!!!!!

Thatsfootball

Owen while being injury prone is a very good player! Could see him performing well if he stays fit. Anyone think he may join someone like Swansea or Soton?
Reo-Coker to Stoke seems like a transfer that may happen!

Roger Sterling

Spiderpig92 wrote: »

i know he is injury prone, but if could get himself fit, i would love to see Craig Gordon at Man Utd. When fit he is one of the best in Britain. If De Gea had a difficult spell like last year, Fergie would have an ideal man to step up with proven premier league experience. remember that Utd were in the market for him when he was at Hearts so Ferguson obviously rates him. Can't see this transfer happening tho!!!!!

United already have the best No. 2 in the league, they have no need for another senior keeper.

POKERKING

Caveman1 wrote: »

Didn't he suffer a bad injury a couple of seasons ago? seemed to put a halt to his progress

signed for Houston Dynamo yesterday, the article might of been a bit ott!

Wexfordboy89

surprised Ivan Klasnić has no club.Grétar Steinsson has signed for some team in turkey kiaraspur or something like that

Dozen Wicked Words

Clarke Carlisle is not a free agent anymore, has signed for York City.

Francie Barrett

Wexfordboy89 wrote: »

surprised Ivan Klasnić has no club.Grétar Steinsson has signed for some team in turkey kiaraspur or something like that

Klasnic always looked useful when he came off the bench for Bolton.