Butler sees local benefit from Colossal partnership

Phoenix Academy Chief Executive Officer Craig Butler says that he sees much promise in the partnership between Phoenix Sports Management and United Kingdom-based Colossal Sports Management for his client, Jamaican international Leon Bailey, and for the Phoenix All Stars Football Academy.

Recently, Colossal announced that the Bayer Leverkusen forward would be part of the team agency that also manages Manchester City's Raheem Sterling and Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Butler said that Colossal and Phoenix are committed to facilitating transfers to England not only for Bailey, but players from the Phoenix Academy.

"All the players from Phoenix, when they are ready to go to England, I will still be the head negotiator and representative and manager of the players, and Colossal's [founder] Aidy Ward will partner with me to move them into England," Butler told STAR Sports.

Butler said that Colossal's partnership with Phoenix would also help young players from the Colossal brand in moves to different European clubs. Butler said that he would remain lead negotiator for Phoenix players, including Bailey, and he looks to manage more local talent in the future.

"It will mean a lot for Jamaican players being able to come through Phoenix Sports Management and have the additional vehicle of Colossal to go through," he said. "We will be looking at managing more players from Jamaica and Jamaica's national team in this area."

While Butler says that the partnership was with a move to England for Bailey in mind, he also sees the potential advantages off the field for him.

"Now when he makes a next move, he will be looking at having the big endorsement contracts, and things like that, because he is a very good and marketable young player, with a lot of following and a lot of support," he said. "It's not just about the transfer. It's about how we take advantage from a commercial perspective - advertisement, endorsements. Things like that for Leon, and in fact, for Phoenix as well.

"So we are working together to benefit from each other and improve the lives of young footballers in the Caribbean."