Jason McAteer: Why education has transformed my career after football

Former Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Republic of Ireland midfielder Jason McAteer enjoyed a career at the highest level of football, but has said education has been just as important to his success since retiring from the game.

Now working as a media pundit for beIN Sports, a Liverpool FC ambassador and an ambassador for VSI Executive Education’s executive diploma with the United Nations, Jason recently shared his career journey and advice with UCFB students.

Although he remains heavily involved in football, Jason explained that he reached a point where he wanted to better understand the business behind the game.

“I got to a stage where I wanted a career change,” he said. “Football evolves all the time and I wanted to understand things like recruitment, data analytics, sporting directors, CEOs and football business models.

“I was in conversations with senior people in football and realised I didn’t know enough. That’s when I knew I needed to learn.”

Having completed a Master’s programme with VSI Executive Education earlier this year, Jason says education has transformed both his confidence and career ambitions.

“I’ve developed a real appetite for learning,” he said. “My network has grown, I’m around brilliant people and I’m constantly asking questions. You just absorb so much knowledge, and that’s been one of the biggest benefits of the journey.”

Jason admitted that, like many aspiring footballers, education wasn’t always a priority during his younger years.

“All I wanted to do was be a footballer,” he explained. “I thought football would last forever, but when you retire it’s like someone flicks a light switch. Eventually I realised that being Jason McAteer wasn’t enough anymore.

“If you want to work at senior level in football, you’ve got to know what you’re talking about and your CV needs to reflect that.”

Alongside his studies, Jason continues to work in football broadcasting, covering the game for beIN Sports. However, he believes successful punditry relies on preparation rather than simply having played the game.

“People think because you’ve won a Premier League or a Champions League it makes you a great pundit,” he said. “It actually doesn’t. Education, preparation and understanding the game are what make you better. If you’re talking about football clubs and the decisions they’re making, you owe it to supporters to understand why those decisions are being made.”

He finished by offering advice to UCFB students considering a career in sport; to never stop learning.

“Whether you want to work in football operations, media or leadership, you’ve got to keep developing yourself,” he said.

“The game is changing all the time and education gives you the knowledge, confidence and network to keep progressing. I’ve loved every minute of the journey and I genuinely don’t want it to stop.”

Whichever area of sport you want to work in, whether it’s coaching, media, business or science, one of UCFB’s undergraduate degree courses can help you on your way there.

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