The saying “the best business ideas come from…” has been heard many times. Some ideas come from personal experiences—problems observed in your own day-to-day life. Others stem from a passion or hobby, where you’re leveraging your own knowledge and experience.

I would say mine came from a combination of both. I’ve mentioned on here before that, after working for 30 years at Pirates in Mallorca and wanting to continue living on this beautiful island, I needed to find something to do.

It was a natural step for me to move into the world of concierge, considering the number of contacts I’ve acquired over the years. I was constantly being asked for a variety of things, and turning that into a business felt like the perfect progression. I knew it was key, though, to be as diverse as possible and to build a team of professional people I could trust to deliver the quality and service required for such a business.

One of those diversifications came when I was out walking my dog in Son Ferrer early one morning. I saw some footballers training on the pitch there. These guys didn’t look like ordinary players, and I recognized the people training them. When I got home, I messaged one of the trainers to ask what he was doing. He explained they were running pre-season training sessions for professional footballers who were here ahead of their own clubs’ pre-season. That trainer was Rob Croll, along with his business partner and former professional footballer Sergio Torres. They run a business called Mallorca Pro Training, which does exactly what the name suggests.

I asked Rob if he needed a goalkeeper, as my son Jude was available. He said yes, and for the next few weeks Jude gained invaluable experience training with Rob, Sergio, and the professional players.

Once all the training had finished, the football season had started, and the winter nights were closing in, Rob and I sat down and put together a plan—not only to train the players, but to look after them while they were here. Rob and Sergio focus on the training, and that’s where I came in. We now offer a full service to the players, so not only do they train while they’re here, but they also get to enjoy everything the island has to offer.

Rob and Sergio are both fully qualified coaches, offering training sessions on the 3G pitches in Son Ferrer or on the grass pitches at Real Mallorca’s training ground. They also make use of the swimming pool by the pitch in Son Ferrer and the many beaches that surround us.

You might ask: why does a footballer need to do pre-season training before their actual pre-season? Well, it’s becoming harder and harder to succeed in the football world, so players are always looking for that extra edge to stay ahead of their opponents. Proof of that definitely came with the players who trained last summer with Mallorca Pro Training:

• James Maddison – Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Europa League winner
• William Osula – Striker, Newcastle United, Carabao Cup winner
• Dennis Cirkin – Defender, Sunderland, promoted to the Premier League
• Alex Gilbert – Charlton Athletic, promoted to the Championship
• Charlie Crew – Doncaster Rovers, promoted to League One

There’s your proof that hard work pays off.

I’d also like to add that the progress my son Jude has made over the last year is undoubtedly thanks to Rob, Sergio, and the professional players he has trained and played with.

You don’t have to be a professional, by the way—many semi-pro and amateur players have also benefited from Rob and Sergio’s expertise.

If you know a footballer who would be interested in this, please get in touch.

Email:

info@mallorcaprotraining.com

richie@prioritymallorca.com