From pitch to court

We speak to Scott Stevenson, Senior Solicitor at Clarity Simplicity, about how his previous career as a professional footballer now plays into his legal work.

It’s not often you get to speak to a former professional footballer, and the chances of speaking to one about their second career in law is, one would think, almost nil. But, as Clarity Simplicity’s Scott Stevenson explains, there are more elements that link those two occupations than we might expect.

“There are definitely some similarities,” Scott says. “In the world of sport, you are taught that standards are high and you need to act in a certain manner. You need to be professional at all times. You have responsibilities. You need to be careful what you say in terms of social media.

“There may be times in my legal career where I don’t necessarily agree with what somebody says, or somebody might be in a difficult situation and they take that out on their solicitor. You have to be able to remain calm, to have some empathy for them in that situation, and try to help them reach the next stage in the process. People see law as an expensive industry, and it definitely can be, so – like people in the football world – they are expecting a certain level of service from you the minute you are called into action.”

Experience on the field

Scott’s knowledge of these areas is far more than theoretical. From a young age, he has been involved in the highest levels of Scottish football, including playing two years at St Johnstone during the period when the club won its first major honour, the Scottish Cup, in 2014.

“I grew up in East Kilbride, just outside of Glasgow, and I began playing for a local boys’ football club,” Scott says. “Around the age of seven, I went to a summer training course with Rangers and it was from there that my young career took off. I went to several development centres and advanced into elite training over the next couple of years before signing for Rangers at the age of 10. I grew up supporting Rangers, so that was a dream come true.

“Then I moved on to Motherwell for five years. I did well but at the age of 16 I had a bad injury – a double leg break. Once I recovered from that injury, I signed for St Johnstone on a two-year professional contract. That was a full-time contract so I moved to Perth and stayed there for a couple of years.”

Finding a new focus

However, realising that a career in football was becoming more and more of a gamble, Scott altered his personal outlook slightly.

“I remember a conversation I had with my dad and some of the more experienced players in the team. I was concerned that very short-term contracts could be affected by things like injury, and I would be out of work. I could see other players around me in those kinds of positions – it was very much a year-by-year or even month-by-month existence for some people at times.

“But I had done well at school and I had the opportunity to go to university, so I decided to apply to the University of Strathclyde to study law.”

Scott’s decision to go into law was based on a number of factors.

“I felt that law could be a very rewarding career. I know it’s clichéd but I wanted to have the opportunity to make an impact on people’s lives. I felt that law would be challenging, it could lead in many different directions, and I would have the opportunity to excel with the right guidance and training in what could be a very interesting career,” he says.

“Also, I didn’t give up football completely. I was still playing on a part-time basis in the lower leagues of Scotland, still at a semi-professional level. I played for various teams there and while I was doing that I also had a trial at Fulham, although unfortunately that didn’t transpire into a contract.”

Helping others

A different type of contract did appear, though. Having joined Clarity Simplicity in January 2020 as a legal assistant while completing his diploma at university, Scott then became a trainee solicitor with the firm in September 2020. He is keen to use his experiences in professional sport to help clients in a similar position.

“We’ve seen quite a large increase in the kinds of enquiries around contracts, and clients that we work with in the professional sports field and beyond are becoming more aware and more knowledgeable, and not necessarily just signing contracts that are put down in front of them,” Scott says.

“It’s important to consider that because, having been there myself, for many people it’s a lifelong dream and you can’t wait to sign the paper and celebrate that success. At the same time, it’s important to have people around you who understand that but who also understand that it’s important to make sure the details of the contract are OK and it will look after you properly.

“So, when I see a young sportsperson with a contract, I’m both excited for them and wary for them. I’m excited for them because I know the dedication and the sacrifices that they have probably made to reach that point in their career, and they deserve the opportunity to go on and hopefully adapt and flourish. But also, I’m wary because they need to have the right guidance.”

Professional advice: how to deal with pro sportspeople

“The first thing to know is: professional sportspeople are very busy. Their life is dedicated to their career and that is something that is different to a lot of other industries,” Scott says.

“In other industries, people go to work, they work their hours, then they go home and get on with their lives – I don’t think a professional sportsperson can do that. They are constantly thinking about work, whether training each day or in competition. Their working day might only last a couple of hours, but they are always thinking about their career, what they eat, how they sleep, where they go, if they are getting enough rest, and if they are interacting with the correct people. Their life is dedicated to that.

“That’s the first thing you need to understand and that’s important because when they have the time to speak to you, or when they are seeking your assistance, they will simply want to know the answer. A lot of them will not be interested in detail but they will want to know how to achieve their aim, and they will want to be able to trust the person they are dealing with to help them do that.

“Finally, my experience is that, generally, professional sportspeople have a close-knit circle of trusted advisers, friends or family. If you are going in to assist them in their life, you need to fit into that group well and understand what else is going on in their career.”

Written by Matt Lamy, writer and journalist