Lisa Heaven: Meet the Ghanaian mother and agent of Man United defender Ayden Edford

Ghanaian woman Lisa Heaven acts as the football agent for her son, Ayden Edford Heaven, who plays as a centre-back for Manchester United.

Lisa undertook the relevant examinations, passed all the papers, and was officially cleared by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) to serve as a football agent in 2024.

She assumed the role after realising that the agents representing her son did not understand him and were making unfavorable deals.

Check out Antoine Semenyo’s rating against Nottingham Forest

Lisa played a crucial role in her son’s move from Arsenal to Manchester United, collaborating with law firms and other relevant stakeholders to ensure all contractual details were properly handled.

“Since the age of three, when he went to his first kickabout and we saw he had this obsession with football, throughout the years, I just felt like I’m probably the only person I would trust to make sure he reaches his maximum potential,” she explains.

“I know how much he puts in behind the scenes, and all the agents I had met, I didn’t think anyone had given me their sales pitch that sold it, understood him like a player, or knew the challenges we were facing and what pathway is best for him,” she said as reported by the New York Times.

Lisa’s determination to fight for her son has been there throughout his career. She took him to various training sessions and trials, including for grassroots clubs in Edmonton, London.

Reports have emerged that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Black Stars technical team have expressed interests in the 19-year-old defender.

However, the technical team expects the player to make a senior appearance for his club in order to gain the necessary experience before joining the national team, despite his current affiliation with the England U20 team.

This interest comes amid a growing number of players of Ghanaian descent expressing a desire to play for the Black Stars ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Ayden and his mother are expected to make a decision once the GFA makes an official approach for him to switch his allegiance from England to Ghana.

Read the post below:

SB/JE

Meanwhile, watch the latest Sports Check interview with Alex Kotey, the GFA Referees Manager below:

Click here to read article