Carla Zuill’s Journey To Football Agent
[Written by Stephen Wright]
When Carla Zuill first began driving her sons to football training sessions, she had little interest in the sport.
The Bermudian journalist and entrepreneur has since become a licensed Fifa football agent after passing the governing body’s football agent exam.
It caps a remarkable journey for Zuill, whose sons Na’im and Ajani introduced her to football and inspired her path into the profession.
“I was the mum who didn’t really understand offside and didn’t really care about football,” Zuill told Bernews.
“I never got out of the car to watch training. It was nighttime, it was cold and it was raining.”
Fast forward several years and football has become both a passion and a business opportunity for Zuill, whose son Na’im is part of the academy at Sky Bet Championship club Bolton Wanderers.
Her other son, Ajani, previously spent time in the academy system at Oldham Athletic.
As her sons progressed through the game, Zuill found herself becoming increasingly interested in the support structures around young players and their families.
Na’im is represented by Prodigy Sports Group, the agency co-founded by the brothers of former England forward Danny Welbeck.
“Seeing how they [Prodigy Sports Group] checked on his wellbeing and my wellbeing, I realised this was something I could explore,” said Zuill, who moved to England with her sons in 2016.
“I’m a nurturer, I’m intelligent, and I felt like I possessed the skillset needed to be an agent.”
The idea began to take shape during a Bermuda Economic Development Corporation entrepreneurship conference in November last year.
“I was asked what was next for me and I said I wanted to be a football agent,” she said.
“Once I put it out into the atmosphere, I knew I had to seriously pursue whatever I needed to do to become one.”
After seeking advice from Na’im’s representatives, Zuill learned she had only a few months to prepare for Fifa’s next examination sitting.
“I spoke to Na’im’s agent and asked what I needed to do,” Zuill said.
“I put my head down and studied so hard. It was such a short period of time [the test was in April].”
Using YouTube resources, free webinars and practice examinations, she immersed herself in Fifa regulations covering subjects ranging from safeguarding and women’s football to international transfers and player representation.
The online examination lasts one hour and is open book, but pass rates highlight its difficulty.
Fifa reported an 18 per cent pass rate for candidates last year, while women account for only five per cent of licensed football agents worldwide.
“I felt I had an advantage as a veteran journalist because, if I didn’t know something, I knew how to find it in a vast document,” Zuill said.
When the results arrived, the moment proved emotional.
“I was so happy I started to cry,” Zuill said.
“It was an accomplishment. I made up my mind that I was going to do it, and I did it.”
Despite her sons being the catalyst for her entry into football, Zuill insists she has no intention of representing Na’im herself.
“I know there are agents who represent their own children, but personally I feel I just want to be his mum,” she said.
“I manage transport, food and every other part of his life. I just don’t feel there needs to be a contract between us.
“I have no desire to represent him.”
Instead, Zuill plans to build her own agency and has already attracted interest from potential business partners.
Motivated in part by her cousin, Vinzie Zuill, who has been involved in Bermudian football for many years through Footy Promotions, she is now exploring opportunities both in Britain and overseas.
“I’ve been approached by several people who want to consider partnering with me because they have a lot of contacts but haven’t passed the Fifa test,” she said.
“My plan is to start an agency and partner with an overseas gentleman who has approached me.”
Zuill’s ambitions extend beyond men’s football.
“I’m open to representing players outside the UK who are unrepresented,” she said.
“The women’s game is also gaining traction and that’s another area to explore. I’d like to represent women too.”
With women accounting for only a small proportion of licensed football agents worldwide, Zuill believes female representatives can bring a different perspective to the profession.
“A woman has a different touch in a predominantly man’s world,” said Zuill, who said she is inspired by female Brazilian super-agent Raphaela Pimenta, who represents Manchester City forward Erling Haaland.
For now, however, her focus is on learning the business and gaining experience.
“I want to learn as much as I can,” Zuill added. “I’ve already experienced a lot navigating the football world as Na’im’s mother.
“There’s no rush. It’s small steps. I’m ready for the opportunities that present themselves.”
