Lockhart Murphy Sport
Your career is your
biggest financial asset.
A professional athlete's income is concentrated into a window that most careers never have. Injury, serious illness or the inability to perform at the required level can close that window without notice.
We structure life cover, critical illness and income protection around your actual contracted income and financial commitments — not a generic national average.
Cover Types
Three types of cover. One conversation.
Most athletes need some combination of these. We advise on all three — and on how they interact with any existing club-provided insurance.
Life insurance
Pays a lump sum or regular income to dependants on death. Can be structured to clear a mortgage, replace income or provide for specific financial commitments. Term, whole-of-life and family income benefit policies are all available.
Mortgage protection
Family income replacement
Trust arrangements for IHT
Level or decreasing sum assured
Critical illness cover
Pays a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of a specified serious illness or medical event — including cancer, heart attack and stroke. Payment is on diagnosis, not on inability to work. Can be taken alongside or independently from life cover.
Diagnosis-based payout
Combined with life cover
Standalone policy available
Children's cover often included
Income protection
Pays a regular income (usually up to 70% of earned income) if you are unable to work due to illness or injury. For athletes, the definition of incapacity and how the claim is assessed matters — 'own occupation' definitions are generally most relevant.
Own-occupation definition
Deferred period selection
Benefit review provisions
Interaction with club insurance
Club Insurance & Gaps
Club cover is rarely sufficient on its own.
Most professional clubs provide some form of career-ending injury insurance as part of a playing contract. These policies exist to protect the club's investment as much as the player — and they typically come with limitations that personal protection does not.
We review your existing club cover as part of our advice, identify what it does and does not cover, and recommend personal protection only for genuine gaps — not to duplicate what is already in place.
Capped at a salary multiple
Club policies typically pay a multiple of basic salary — not bonus, image rights or wider earnings.
Playing injury only
Coverage may be limited to injuries sustained during training and competition — not illness or injury outside the playing environment.
Ends with the contract
Club-provided cover typically lapses when the contract ends — creating a gap between clubs.
Club's interests, not yours
The club is the policy beneficiary in many arrangements. Your financial obligations continue regardless.
No income replacement timeline
Career-ending cover pays a lump sum. It does not replicate ongoing income during recovery from a non-career-ending injury.
When to Review
Protection should be reviewed at every major change.
Many athletes take out protection once and leave it unchanged for years. Your income, commitments and career stage change constantly — your protection should too.
Buying or remortgaging a property
Significant change in contracted income
New or growing financial dependants
Contract renewal or club transfer
Starting an investment portfolio
Approaching retirement from sport
Common Questions
Answered.
Do professional athletes need income protection if they have club insurance?
Club-provided insurance typically covers career-ending injury in a playing context, often to a capped multiple of salary. Personal income protection can complement this — covering scenarios the club policy excludes, providing cover during the off-season or between contracts, or simply providing additional protection beyond what the club arrangement offers. We review both together to identify gaps.
How is income protection calculated for a professional athlete?
Income protection is typically assessed as a percentage of your regular earned income — your contracted salary rather than bonuses or image rights in most cases. For athletes on fixed-term contracts, some insurers take into account the contract term when structuring the cover. We present your income and circumstances clearly to the insurers most likely to assess it appropriately.
Can critical illness cover be arranged for a sports professional?
Yes. Critical illness cover pays a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of a specified serious illness, regardless of whether you are able to return to work. It can be structured around a mortgage commitment, to replace a period of income, or to provide financial flexibility following a serious diagnosis. Medical history and occupation may affect premiums.
Does being a professional athlete affect life insurance premiums?
Participation in professional sport is considered by insurers differently depending on the sport, level, and individual health profile. In many cases, standard terms are available. Where the sport is considered higher risk by certain insurers, we identify those with a more favourable view — premium loadings are not universal.
When should a professional athlete review their protection?
Key review points include: taking out a mortgage, a significant change in contracted income, the addition of financial dependants, at each contract renewal, and ahead of retirement from professional sport. These are all moments when the level and structure of cover should be reassessed against current financial commitments.
Private Enquiry
Review your protection.
Whether you currently have no personal protection in place, or want an existing arrangement reviewed, we can advise on what is appropriate for your circumstances — including how any club cover fits into the overall picture.
All enquiries handled in strict confidence.
Lockhart Murphy is a trading name of Mortgage Force Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection are protection products and are subject to individual eligibility, medical underwriting and insurer acceptance. Lockhart Murphy does not guarantee that any specific cover will be offered on standard terms or at all. Tax treatment of protection products is subject to individual circumstances — we recommend seeking independent tax advice.