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Agents are ‘a cancer’, who get their ‘tentacles into players’, says Simon Jordan, who slams Saif Rubie amid row with ex-Liverpool starlet Bobby Duncan

by · talkSPORT

Football agents are ‘a cancer in youth development’, believes talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan.

The former Crystal Palace chairman has never shied away from voicing his dislike of players’ representatives and launched a new attack on their conduct amid former Liverpool starlet Bobby Duncan’s ongoing row with former agent Saif Rubie.

Jordan went head-to-head with former agent Rubie on Monday

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Rubie, who now works as an intermediary, joined talkSPORT on Monday where he spoke about his involvement in ex-Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger’s move to Real Madrid.

Another topic discussed was Duncan’s acrimonious exit from his boyhood club which saw Rubie accuse Liverpool of ‘bullying and mentally destroying’ the player.

Duncan later joined Fiorentina but his career has been on a downward spiral. He currently plies his trade with Spanish third division side Real Balompedica Linense.

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And the Duncan tragedy is a tale Jordan is all too familiar with.

“I’ve watched the influence they have,” Jordan said on White and Jordan.

“I’ve watched the tentacles they get into players, what they give players, how they influence players, to look at things a certain way.

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Duncan, who is the cousin of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, blasted Rubie after his talkSPORT appearanceGetty Images - Getty

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“There are so many times I’ve sat across tables from agents that have said to me ‘I can do this, if you give me an extra bit of money I’ll get my player to sign for that.’

“You work for that player and you’re prepared to prostitute that player to gain money for you. It’s not once, it’s not twice, I’ve seen it many, many times.

“When we talk about the ridiculous documentaries, how they spew out kids like a sausage factory, the agents are the bigger cancer in youth development in this country because they are the ones who create the image in young players’ minds.

“They’re the ones that won’t tell them the truth, they’re the ones who won’t prepare the kids for the fact that there’s a distinct possibility they ain’t going to make the top grade.”

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Jordan used the example of Bostock, who left Palace to join Tottenham aged 16. However, he’s gone on to have a journeyman career, representing 14 different clubsgetty

On the Duncan saga, Jordan added: “It’s a preposterous set of circumstances where an 18-year-old kid doesn’t really know the world and he’s been led to believe he’s a top player.

“He’s gone away to America with Liverpool and he’s perceived to be close to the first team but reality has come knocking on his door. A few people didn’t want to tell him some home truths but [manager] Jurgen Klopp did.

“That didn’t sit well with him because he’s an ambitious young boy. What he needed was proper voices around him, from his family and also the agent.

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“No one can excuse themselves from the equation, you can’t position all the blame on Saif Rubie, you’ve got to take responsibility yourself.

“Saif comes here and talks about the reality of the situation, it is preposterous the things that he said. He called [ex-Liverpool sporting director] Michael Edwards a data analyst…

Duncan addressed Rubie’s comments on his Twitter accountTwitter @bobbyduncan999
Duncan has accused Rubie of lying about the episodeTwitter @bobbyduncan999

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Duncan excelled for Liverpool at youth level but his career has gone a long way off track in recent yearsTwitter @bobbyduncan999
Duncan is not happy with Rubie’s commentsTwitter @bobbyduncan999

“At the same time, as dragging this kid into a social media spat about people’s mental health and well-being and now we’ve got a situation where a young boy, who in part is responsible for the choices he’s made and has chosen to take advice that’s probably suited what he’s wanted to hear at the time because he wasn’t wise enough or adroit enough to understand that he’s better off listening to other people than some idiot agent telling him what the opportunities there are for him.

“I think he should come on this show… and explain these things to the world.

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“I saw kids in my academy. Young players like John Bostock and people like Wayne Routledge make decisions because of agents like Paul Stretford that influence them on a different direction of travel. They’re not looking at what’s really right for the boy.

“Not only have you allowed a boy to have a pipe dream that wasn’t ready to be achieved, he was at the best football club in the country with the best players and coaches where he could’ve been developed, he just had to be patient and wait his turn, you’ve created a situation where the boy alienates himself from the football club.

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