Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra and tech entrepreneur Tommy Fish have launched a networking app for footballers.
‘Player’, which has initially launched in England, currently operates on an invite-only basis, but is set to be open to the general public in 2025.
According to Forbes, Player recently generated $1.2m in a pre-seed funding round, which valued the company at $6.7m.
Serving as a “LinkedIn for footballers”, the platform will enable players to share their profiles, highlights, and statistics with agents, scouts and clubs.
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Player is intended to provide opportunities for young players who are not currently involved in academies. Evra did not come through a youth academy himself, playing in the Italian third tier, before signing for French club Nice in 2000. He would later sign for AS Monaco in 2002, before sealing his transfer to United in 2006.
The 43-year-old Frenchman, who won five Premier League titles at United during his eight-year tenure at the club, used his own contacts from his career to launch the platform.
After leaving the Red Devils in 2014, Evra had spells at Juventus and West Ham United.
“When I was at Manchester United I would have loved a platform for my football profile to share my memories and achievements with my community,” Evra told Forbes. “As for my own footballing profile – it’s spread across lots of random different channels. Now players can make every match count in one place.”
Fish added: “We’re unleashing the world’s biggest and best football community and platform. Footballers need visibility to succeed. Clubs and agents need to find top talent before their rivals. We want to be a force for good in football and help players maximise their potential and the joy of playing football.”
