Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Andy Murray using management company to develop Britain's next sports stars

Three Grand Slam titles, two Olympic gold medals, one knighthood and a place guaranteed among the greatest British sportspeople of all time - imagine having Sir Andy Murray in your corner...

For the first time, double Wimbledon champion Murray has spoken about his new venture in sports management.

In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, the 30-year-old Scot explains his plan to recruit and mentor top prospects, while still competing at the highest level himself - and how he will use his own experiences of the pressure and pitfalls faced by an up-and-coming athlete.

'I was too young'

Murray started playing tennis at the age of three.

Two years later he began competing and his potential was quickly recognised, although on reflection, Murray says, there are aspects of his development he would change.

"I signed with a management company for the first time when I was 12, 13 years old, which to me is ridiculous," Murray admits. "It's way, way too young. You don't need that pressure.

"You're trying to become a professional and certainly my parents were not experienced in dealing with those situations.

"You can get yourself into trouble by signing long-term contracts that might not be in your best interests. Things like that you can avoid if you've got the right people around you."

'I want to work with the best'

Murray says he decided to start up his own management company after his maiden Wimbledon triumph in 2013.

"Throughout my career as a professional - and actually when I was a junior as well - I worked with three or four different companies and found a number of people who I liked and trusted," said Murray. "That's how it began.

"Then I thought I could look at helping some younger British athletes go through that transition phase from juniors into the senior ranks and mentor them along the way.

"It's something that interests me a lot. I want to work with the best British athletes, whether that's male or female."

Murray set up 77 Sports Management, an offshoot of the group that looks after him. It intends to provide recruits with access to the player himself as well as much of the set-up around him - personnel, sports science, nutrition, facilities, commercial opportunities and more.

"If there's anything they, their family, or anyone around them wants to ask or talk to me about, then that's what I'll do," he adds.

"I don't want to be imposing my views or ideas on anyone. But I think that's one of the nice things about having an athlete as part of the management company.

"Often the people in management companies haven't played the sport or been athletes themselves, so hopefully that's a little extra thing I can add."

'I need to learn about other sports'

Women's Football


A Fran Kirby-inspired England scored four goals in 12 minutes as they thrashed Kazakhstan to maintain their perfect start to World Cup qualifying.

Mel Lawley scored from close range on her full international debut, and substitute Kirby added a second-half penalty with her first touch.

The Chelsea forward was involved in both of Nikita Parris' goals, while Izzy Christiansen's tap-in capped an easy night for England in Colchester.

England are second in Group 1.

After what could be Mo Marley's last game in interim charge, England are one point behind Wales, who beat Bosnia Herzegovina 1-0 on Tuesday and have played one game more.

The Lionesses are still yet to concede a goal in the qualifying campaign for the 2019 World Cup in France - with Kazakhstan failing to test returning goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, who made her first appearance since breaking her leg at Euro 2017.

Wales edge to narrow win in Bosnia
Northern Ireland get first qualifying points
Republic of Ireland hold Netherlands
Marley, who has won two and lost the other of her three matches in charge, has applied to succeed the sacked Mark Sampson on a permanent basis - with interviews to be held on 4 December.

With Karen Carney (ankle) and Demi Stokes (hip) pulling out of the squad through injury, Marley handed Manchester City's Keira Walsh her international debut - and brought Jess Carter off the bench for her England bow.

Kazakhstan, ranked 66 in the world, were not helped by an injury to goalkeeper Oksana Zheleznyak - who struggled before coming off at half-time, and though her replacement Irina Sandalova performed admirably she could do nothing to stop England's onslaught.