Middlesbrough boss Southgate: We can’t get rid of the agents

He said: “It is unlikely to ever happen because of the way the game is now. When I started, very few players had agents.

“There are some very good agents I have come across, and there are some who I think do not necessarily do the game any favours.

“But I guess that is the same with any industry. You find good and bad people in every occupation.

“Whether it is good for the overall benefit of the game, I have to question because life would be a lot less complicated if everybody looked after their own affairs.

“But I can also see lots of players need some sort of representation, whether it is a lawyer or an accountant or somebody to help them to negotiate contracts and to look after the money they make.

“In a short career, they have got to try to make sure they do not waste the money they earn.”