The Big Interview - Mark Trigg

By Simon Wright - Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

Recently, I had the pleasure to speak to Mark Trigg, who is director of Evo Football Consultancy (logo pictured), a group that cover a number of roles in football.  These range from coaching techniques to the aspect of player recruitment.  Mark has built up plenty of experience within football in the past five years and he shared his predictions for the coming season, along with explaining further about his roles and the close relationships he has in the UK’s most topical and popular sport.

First of all Mark, how did you become involved with player recruitment?

I began working part-time in football in 2008, when running a number of other businesses.  I started out because of my love for the game.  I continued to build a great scouting network for local players from junior level to senior non-league and as time went by, the hobby got more serious and I decided to dedicate even more time to the industry.

I went on a number of FA coaching courses, did some short-term scouting work for Championship side Blackpool and was soon approached by Asia Europe Football to discuss doing some possible work with them.

While I started my partnership with them, I continued to build Evo Football.  My goal with Evo Football was not to just develop a player agency; it was to develop a trusted brand which has moved on with the times of football.  On our website now, we have so many services we offer for all football related matters and we have features on our site that work well with today’s modern technology and work very well with our clients and club partners.  Evo Football has now become a full-time job, and it’s great to turn a hobby of mine into work and developing a vision to push forward player recruitment with a strong passion.

So how many clients does Evo Football currently work with?

We are currently working with over 50 players at present.  These are exclusively signed to one of our licensed agents.  We also have a large number of players worldwide who Evo work with in partnership with other trusted licensed agents.  This work may stem from mentoring, building the profile and marketing of a player through to commercial activities.  We are currently working closely with players from youth and junior level to those playing for major international sides.

Is there one particular player who Evo or you work with the most?

Well at Evo, all our team have a great relationship with all the players but I personally spend a lot of time with one particular player, and that is Ryan Williams (pictured with Mark at Evo Academy's new soccer base in Wirral), who currently plays in League Two for Morecambe.  He was playing amateur football just a few years ago and his career has been an emotional rollercoaster.  To see someone like Ryan work so hard and never give in despite some early setbacks, he really taught me a lot and made me realise why I personally do what I do.

I spotted Ryan playing and I knew straightaway that he was special.  We soon began to work with him in building up his profile, from not even having a photograph of him in a football kit online, to getting DVDs of him playing.  We worked hard for a year with Ryan twice a week to improve his technical striking and vision with our specialist technical coach Bartek Sylwestrzak and he soon became a free-kick shooting specialist, as demonstrated by his stunning winner against Wolves in the Capital One Cup win on Tuesday night.

When he signed on with Morecambe in January, the feeling was so rewarding and I was so happy for him when he came on and scored a 30-yard goal on his debut.  I believe that with the right luck, Ryan will go on to play at the highest level.  He has spent six weeks on trial at Stoke City at the backend of 2012, and they believe he is even capable of playing in the Championship now.  That’s not bad for where he was just two years ago.

What do you believe are the main differences in football in 2013 from the 1970s/1980s?

I was born in 1981 and my earliest memories were Italia 90 and Gazza’s tears in the semi-final defeat to West Germany in Turin.  I would say the most noticeable difference is the money involved nowadays.  This is something that worries me about the passion for the game.

Another huge difference in this modern day is in terms of development.  Players and teams have improved rapidly from the 1980s because of the investments made in science and technological sides of the game.

How involved are you in the process of a transfer should one of Evo’s clients move in the current window?

I personally do not get involved with this process.  Our licensed agents and lawyers deal with these matters.  What I can tell you is that these can become very stressful times to make things run smoothly throughout.

Are there any clubs you’ve enjoyed conducting business with, and also, any you found very difficult to work with?

There are a number of clubs who we work closely with and you do tend to have your favourites who trust us more.  Therefore, these become clubs who we tend to favour.  We believe in this day and age that you have to make things simple for the club and clubs know that when they deal with us, whether it is on the commercial or recruitment service, they will always get a honest and straightforward approach.

The clubs that can be very difficult to work with shall remain unknown, but one thing we are lucky in our country is that it is a lot easier to deal with English clubs than with other sides from different countries.

I understand you are working now alongside the former Leeds United defender Tony Dorigo for a company.  Can you give an introduction to them?

I certainly can Simon.  The company is called Provision Football and I started working alongside them over a year ago now.  Tony Dorigo, who played in the Premier League for Leeds United and Derby County, is the director of the company.  He is a great colleague to work with and a fine role model to any young players. 

Provision has a licensed agent too, and his name is David Seligman.  I find working with Provision very professional and we have a fantastic relationship built around trust.  David is very proactive and works constantly around the clock, dealing with clubs and players whilst also having a strong passion for the development of young players.

This, alongside the experience of Tony in the professional game has formed what seems to be an exciting long-term future with Evo and Provision Football.  We have just formed a joint partnership and I’m looking forward to the plans we have in the coming months.

Is there a message you’d like to give to younger people who have ambitions to become a footballer in the future?

You must work hard, show plenty of dedication, look after yourself physically and you need to show the crucial skill of mental strength.  Learn about yourself psychologically and most of all, never give up trying.  You must believe in yourself and stay positive because if you don’t, then no manager or coach will.

Is there a football club you personally support?

As a kid, I supported Tranmere Rovers and for some reason, had a soft spot for Aston Villa, but now I follow certain clubs that I have a particular interest in, or know players that we have worked with playing.

Lastly, who are you tips for the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup in 2013-14?

I think there will be a changing of the guard in the Premier League.  With Sir Alex gone, I don’t think things will go to plan for Manchester United, especially with Wayne Rooney set to leave the club.  I have a sneaky feeling that if Jose Mourinho can create the consistency required, then Chelsea will be the ones to beat.

Bayern Munich are just too powerful for the other contenders and I can see them comfortably retaining their domestic and European titles.  As for the World Cup, I fancy Brazil to do the job on home soil.  Spain will start as favourites for the tournament and you can never rule out the Germans, Italians or Argentines – but I reckon crowd power will push the Brazilians over the line towards a sixth world title.

For more information about EVO Football, visit their website.