Welcome to this unique and incredible opportunity presented by the PFA and Portsmouth University. A journey of discovery that will help you find your way, post playing into a world that will use your playing experience and ‘the feel for the dressing room’ in a new way and a new career.

I have been lucky to have a privileged career in the football industry. As a player I played at the lower levels of the game and that is also where I started as a coach, those experiences gave me the platform to learn and the desire to reach the top levels by improving and developing step by step.

As a coach I have coached at the top levels of World Football and have now used that experience to develop a second career in executive and leadership roles in elite football.

Alongside playing and early years of coaching I was able to study for a degree and various other diplomas and qualifications both in sport and football but also in leadership and management.

I have probably done every job there is in professional football and now run my own business in Elite Football Consultancy. I didn’t plan this; it just happened as one door closed another opened. I have been very lucky.

Now through the PFA Business School, it doesn’t have to be like that. Second career planning for today’s modern player needs to sit comfortably within the demands of the game, it needs to fit with a player’s commitments and not be a distraction. It also needs to be a positive learning experience, fun, enjoyable and appropriate.

The PFA Business School, Postgraduate Diploma in Global Football Sport Directorship makes this achievable and through our partnership with the University of Portsmouth it is a credible and accredited qualification.

On this course we will use your experiences and the wealth of experience of the teaching faculty to learn through real events, real cases and through the successes and failures experts. This course is designed to develop the real leaders of football’s future.

Les Reed, Co-Director of the Programme

Vice-Chair of the UEFA Development & Technical Assistance committee and Former Vice-Chair of Southampton FC