Interview: “Some players feel that being a footballer can be a stressful occupation; well, try being a CEO on top of that”

At the end of a successful playing career, Pat Nevin, became the world’s first player-CEO, embarking on a four year period of madness, infighting, financial chaos, politics and round the clock commitment.

Two decades on, Nevin has written a memoir of this period of his life that is a compelling testament to the pressures and strains of football administration.

Why it matters: Managerial and playing pressures are often well documented, but the roles of football administrators and their range of responsibilities are often overlooked. Nevin challenges that state of affairs.

The perspective: Although there is a tradition of players going into leadership roles at continental clubs, only three former players in England’s top two leagues have board level roles in football.