Neil Sillett

Director

Neil Sillett has worked at the very highest level of professional sport for more than 20 years, being a former player, coach and physiotherapist. So ingrained in sport, he is the third-generation professional player of a family interwoven in the fabric of British football.

Over the past two decades he has worked for Portsmouth FC, Coventry City FC and Derby County FC with the likes of Terry Venables, Jim Smith, Steve McClaren and his own father, John Sillett.

He has a proven track record in recognising quality players and throughout his career he has helped develop many of these players into Premiership stars. Having worked with many top international players, his technical knowledge is highly regarded and his advice is continually being sought after by his peers in the game.

Throughout his career in professional sport, he has gained an excellent reputation as a coach and an agent and his amiable approach has won him many friends across the globe. With a fantastic network of sports professionals at his disposal and being a fully licensed FIFA and UEFA agent himself, Neil has the ability to continually provide his clients with “Best in Class” advice.

Trevor Inch

Director

Having played professional sport himself and with serious injury curtailing his promising career, this has given Trevor a great understanding of the highs and lows of professional sport. Linked to his experience in the world of commerce, this provides an excellent pool of relevant knowledge for our customers to draw upon.

Since leaving sport, over the past 25 years he has established his career at the highest level within the corporate world. His abilities are focused upon delivering consistent and measurable commercial results and are supported by his excellent pedigree in the world of Marketing.

Working at board level for the past 15 years, his experience covers a multitude of industries and companies, giving him a great insight across the commercial sector.

Barry Hunt

Consultant

Barry is a skilled and commercially driven individual, extremely focused upon customer service and operational excellence, providing value for all stakeholders.

Specializing in Marketing, Sports Merchandising and Sponsorship, Barry has, over the years, created, managed and delivered many innovative, exciting and profitable brand solutions across a plethora of sports franchises and businesses in the UK and Europe. This coupled with his excellent partner relationships within the Corporate & Charity sectors means he brings a great level of experience, knowledge & opportunity to our clients.

Garry Thompson

Consultant

With a career spanning some 24 years, Garry has played over 600 games at the highest level. A fearsome centre forward, he was not only renowned for his aerial strength, but also for his tireless work ethic – an attribute which he now employs in his role as an advisor.

Having retired from playing, he has gone on to establish his coaching credentials working most recently at Brentford F.C. Throughout this time as player and coach he has built up a network of contacts in the game many would be envious of. This excellent pedigree in the sport has provided Garry with great knowledge and experience in the game, which is now being utilised successfully at Sillsport.

“Thommo’s” ability to motivate, guide and encourage players has already benefited many top stars, including Jason Roberts, Bobby Zamora and Nathan Ellington amongst many others.

He has a great eye for a player and is very well respected in the game. He is always well received by clubs not only in the U.K, but all over the World and his attitude and belief that players must have the correct mental approach towards the game is never lost on Managers and Coaches when recommending players to them. He understands there requirements and delivers against that criteria.

Alan Knight M.B.E

Consultant

Alan’s track record in the game is outstanding. He holds the record for the most appearances for a single club by a goalkeeper, having played 683 league games and 801 games overall for Portsmouth, superseding Peter Bonetti's record of exactly 600 goalkeeping appearances for Chelsea.

In addition to his goalkeeping record, Alan is the second-longest serving Portsmouth player of all time behind Jimmy Dickinson, and is also the only player to have appeared in all four divisions of the Football League for the club. He has also represented his country at Under-21 international level.

Known by the Fratton Park faithful as “The Legend”, he is respected throughout the game for his professionalism, endurance and ability and in 2001, his loyalty to Portsmouth and work in the community received royal approval when he was awarded an M.B.E. in the New Year’s Honours List.

With such vast experience at the highest level of the game, Alan clearly brings fantastic insight to our clients – especially those who play in this most specialist of positions.

Marcelo Giorgio

Consultant

Marcelo has been involved in sports representation for the last 5 years, specialising in professional footballers of Spanish, Italian and Latin American background and building relationships between Europe and South America.

Utilising his South American contacts, especially in Argentina and Paraguay, Marcelo provides our scouting network with opportunities to discover young and exciting talent.

Since the inception of Sillsport’s investment business, he has regularly worked closely with the board of Directors, facilitating negotiations between the company and its key partners.

His professional approach aligned with his ability to translate the company’s recruitment and investment strategy in overseas markets have made him a key member of the Sillsport team.

Chris McMenemy

European Consultant

Chris was born into a footballing family, his father being Lawrie McMenemy M.B.E. After his professional playing career was cut short through injury Chris concentrated on a coaching and managing career.

A qualified European ‘A’ licensed coach Chris’s first coaching job was at Sunderland FC with the youth and reserve teams. In 1988 he joined Chesterfield FC where he coached and managed until 1993 where he was the league’s youngest manager at 29 years of age in 1990.

After their promotion to the Premier League in 1993, Chris joined Kevin Keegan and Newcastle United as the clubs first team coach also working with Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit, where he stayed until 2000.

During this time as first team coach the club were Premier League runners-up twice, F.A cup finalists twice and qualified for the Champions League/UEFA Cup five times. In his final year at Newcastle Chris set up the clubs first european scouting system, giving him and the club an excellent network of contacts.

Upon leaving Newcastle United he formed a sports agency and held a FIFA licence until 2004, when he relocated to Spain.

In recent years Chris has worked for Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur as a scouting consultant and has organised pre-season and mid-season training camps for these and other UK and Spanish clubs.

Since joining Sillsport in 2011 Chris’s responsibilities include liaising with Neil Sillett and football clubs throughout Europe and
facilitating trials that showcase Sillsport’s stable of young professional players.

Christopher Antoh Forsythe

Director of Operations (Africa)

Chris's background and experience truly brings to life the meaning of "the best of both worlds" - as this is what he brings to the Sillsport team!! Having been raised in Ghana and educated and successfully graduating in Northern Ireland he now works in the UK and Ghana developing football relationships throughout Africa for Sillsport.

Over the past few years he has worked tirelessly to establish his connections within Africa with players, administrators, managers and coaches alike and his focused approach, aligned with his professional outlook towards player care and development means he is a valuable team player in Sillsport’s internationally based stable of consultants.

Currently, his main responsibilities lie in Africa carrying out his duties in his important role as Academy Head of the Sillsport African Football Academy, where he is continuing to establish the Academy as a destination venue for talented African players wishing to improve and progress in the game.

Stuart Murray

Golf Consultant

Stuart Murray is a qualified PGA professional and ex-county player who has grown a reputation as a intuitive and sought after coach.

Since joining the Sillsport stable in July 2011 he has quickly enhanced his reputation as a mentor and agent working for Sillsport’s golf professional clients. 

Utilising his wide network of equipment manufacturing and sponsorship contacts, he has demonstrated his commercial abilities, whilst balancing those efforts with his “day to day” schedule of communicating solid, sound and motivational playing advice to his clients.