Not preparing is preparing to fail, the saying goes. Ryan Bertrand certainly agrees.
The professional footballer's transition to retirement can be a complicated matter. For Bertrand, business is the key word.
The former England international, best remembered for his starring role in Chelsea's historic Champions League triumph in 2012, is showing the same conviction in his new corporate life as he did during his football career.
“I had already taken steps to leave professional football when I was playing,” explained Bertrand, who retired in June 2024.
'I was constantly educating myself and reading. The trajectory of footballers once they leave the game is well documented.
'That was something I didn't want, being ahead of the curve and doing everything I could for business and personal development to prepare for the next step before that day came became a big goal for me.
Ryan Bertrand always considered what he would do after football and founded fintech brokerage Silicon Markets with his business partner and long-time friend Louis Bell (left) in 2015.
Bertrand drinks Chelsea's historic 2012 Champions League triumph in an open-top bus with Didier Drogba (below), Sam Hutchinson (back left) and Gary Cahill (back right)
The defender earned 19 caps for England during his illustrious career.
'When the day comes (to retire) it's not always pleasant, I always wanted to have the opportunity to finish when I wanted to finish.
“I got to the point where I almost wanted to retire.
'Instead of incubating myself in the world of football and isolating myself from the real world, I always had balance.
'I could occupy my mind in the business world, which would prepare me for the next step.
'Footballers should find time to broaden their mindset with what is happening in the rest of the world. Football is big but the world is much bigger.
“Being at Chelsea and all my loans (Bournemouth, Oldham, Norwich, Reading, Forest, Villa to Chelsea) what I appreciate about my career is how complete it was.
'From League One, to the Champions League final, to Wembley, to playing with England in the Euros and fighting against relegation.
“Maybe from a personal context it allowed me to have more empathy and objectivity when approaching the sport from a business perspective because I was able to understand what they (the players) are going through.”
Bertrand spent seven years at Southampton and was named 2015 PFA Team of the Year
Bertrand says his many loans, including his time at Reading (pictured), have made him stronger
The 35-year-old finished his career at Leicester City and announced his retirement last June.
In 2015, Bertrand founded, together with his business partner and long-time friend Louis Bell, the fintech brokerage Silicon Markets.
Located next to all-in-one financial app Revolut, worth an estimated £45bn, Bertrand and Bell witnessed first-hand how quickly businesses can grow if taken in the right direction.
“I remember going to China and pitching our business with Revolut employee Alan Chang,” Bell recalls.
“We watched Revolut grow and that was eye-opening, great lessons and learning curves.”
Today, together with Bell, Bertrand runs the football talent agency FA Sport, which looks after the interests of Chelsea and England defender Levi Colwill and Everton forward Armando Broja, among others.
As Bertrand and Bell speak to Mail Sport about life after football from FA Sport's headquarters in Knightsbridge, London, their excitement about the fight is clear.
Bell himself has a history in football. He was a former Gillingham youth player before pursuing a career in finance and entrepreneurship.
“Competitiveness is what drives us to thrive; the challenge is the obstacles we face,” Bell explained.
Bertrand played alongside a host of stars at Chelsea, including Spanish midfielder Juan Mata (pictured) and won the FA Cup and Europa League as well as the Champions League.
There were more titles at Leicester, winning the Community Shield with Jamie Vardy
Ryan Bertrand was selected for Stuart Pearce's Great Britain 2012 Olympic team
'Do what you have to do. The challenges are the comings and goings you have with the clubs.
'I would be calling Ryan when I was a player during the early hours of the morning.
“He would call back and we would discuss.” He would come back with a solution, I would come back with a solution and we would find a middle ground.
“Like football, that's competition.”
Indeed, Bertrand, who has an FA Cup, a Champions League, a Europa League, a Community Shield and 19 international caps to his name, insists his achievements in the business world are as profound as his medals.
“Winning the Champions League was huge for me and it gets bigger as time goes by. But in business it's you against everyone, but now you decide your purpose,” said the 35-year-old.
Through FA Sport, Bertrand and Bell played a key role in the crucial appointment of Joe Shields as co-director of recruitment and talent at Chelsea, one of the first key appointments of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.
Bertrand also recommended £115m Moisés Caicedo and Manchester City player Josko Gvardiol to Premier League sides when both players were available for less than £5m.
Since retiring, Bertrand has focused all his attention on football talent agency FA Sport
Bertrand insists that his achievements in business are as profound as his medals.
Bertrand's FA Sport is still looking to sign talented young players and expand into Africa
Bell also negotiated the transactions of Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Cesare Casadei to Chelsea in the summer of 2022.
The future of the company will see FA Sport continue to look to sign talented young players and expand into Africa, where they intend to open a development center for elite and amateur athletes.
“There is a lot of talent in Africa, we really want to be part of Africa's development in a sporting context,” Bertrand said.
'Develop sports in Africa so that people and communities can take advantage of the social and economic benefits that a strong sporting landscape can provide.
'Can we give young people a career in football in Europe and beyond? Can we find the next Sadio Mane?
For now, however, the focus is on the current operation ahead of the January transfer window.
“Signing Levi Colwill and Armando Broja at 16, watching them develop and then having their own ideas about where they wanted to go – the ambition and determination makes you feel very proud,” Bell added.
“Watching them play for England and Albania makes you understand why you started – you remember being at Cobham and signing them at 16.”
Bertrand adds: “The secret to our success as an agency is purpose, we want to help players, we resonate with players, parents and since my experience as a player was complete, our advice is perhaps a little more relevant.”
'I have lived every movement. The loans, the trajectories of the movements. I was one of the first players to go out on loan to Chelsea with a view to returning to the first team: it was Jack Cork and I to Bournemouth.
'I have lived and breathed it. We know how to identify an elite young athlete, we know the path and the moments they must take to reach the top of their game.
“There are difficult conversations with clubs, but our record shows that we have had those conversations with conviction.
'We've had some cases where we've listened to the club and things haven't worked out. That's where we've learned and reinforced our own principles.'