DAHOOD-LIGHT BLOG: WHAT DOES FOOTBALL SCOUTS LOOK FOR IN A PLAYER?

Tuesday 11 September 2018

WHAT DOES FOOTBALL SCOUTS LOOK FOR IN A PLAYER?

By Coach Ismaeel youngest _Dream Team United Football Academy, Mile 2 estate

This is one of the best interview of the year, after listening to some speech from one the best football Academy coach in Lagos state, following some interesting matches watch on the team field of play at Amuwo Odofin, mile 2 estate,
These are what the coach could give in is speech with one of our correspondence and also a player of the team_ Salami Babatunde Dauda
QUESTION :
What is your Advise to every upcoming footballer and what are the key roles they needed in order to go. Further in their career as a footballer?
ANSWER:
Before we look at position-specific scouting, let looks at the general areas of talent identification. This brings us to The Five Multidimensional Properties for Talent Identification Created In 1998 psychologist Jane Davidson and Michael Howe. This model forms the basis taught to professional scouts on the PFSA scouting course. In short… The following is a cheat-sheet on what football scouts look for. The five talent identification predictors are:
Anthropometric Talent ID Predictors
This assesses your physical measurements.

Not easy for a player to change or adapt (except your weight). But important to understand that scouts may be looking for different body types.

Other areas that fall under this predictor are:

Growth
Body Type
Height
Weight
Physiological Talent ID Predictors
These predictors assess your physical ability to perform work. Some physiological areas a scout may look for are:

Muscular Strength
Stamina and endurance throughout the 90 minutes
Balance and Power
Speed and Agility
If you feel you are lacking in any physiological areas, don’t fret…

You can improve these areas with specific training.

Psychological Talent ID Predictors
One of the hardest things for a coach to develop is a player’s mental strength. So, scouts are very interested in mentally strong players.

These predictors include:

Discipline
Confidence
Determination
Motivation
Attention
Awareness
Ambition
Respect
Sociological Talent ID Predictors
It’s not always how a player performs on the pitch. For a scout to get a true feeling for a player, he must understand outside influences.

This includes:

Socio-economic influences
Education
Parental Support
These areas are important as academies may have only 3/6 hours of contact with a player a week.

Which means…

There are potentially 162 hours a week that a player can still work towards his development.

This requires family input and support.

Whether its creating a safe home environment or providing nutritious meals. A young players support network is key to his development.

Also…

Scouts may approach your school for a report to understand:

Your behaviour
How you learn
How respectful you are to teachers
How you interact with your piers
Technical Skills Talent ID Predictors
This area looks at the individual skill of a player. These skills can also be developed by practice and structured training.

Technical skills may include:

Ball control
Positioning
Awareness
Dribbling
Shooting
We go deeper into the exact criteria scouts used to determine a player later in the article.

Now you know the general aspects of talent identification. It’s time to understand what scouts want to see when assessing a player by positions.

What do football scouts look for in a goalkeeper?
Playing in goal is the loneliest position on a football pitch.

If you make a mistake, this often leads to a goal.

Therefore….

Keepers must have great mental toughness and concentration levels.

The key attributes a scout looks for in a goalkeeper include:

Aerial ability
Command of the penalty area
Communication with defence
Decision Making
Distribution
Good reflexes
Handling
One-on-one ability
Positioning
Shot Stopping
Here’s a great video by FourFourTwo on goalkeepers can impress at a trial.

What do football scouts look for in a fullback?
The modern game has seen a shift from fullbacks to wingbacks.

Meaning…

Wide defenders need to be more athletic nowadays so they can regularly join attacks.

The technical attributes a scout looks for in a fullback include:

Anticipation
Crossing
Marking ability
Pace
Stamina
Tackling ability
Team responsibility
The timing of forward runs
Work rate
What do football scouts look for in a center back?
Long gone are the days when a tall route one center back. Who was praised for clearing his lines by kicking the ball as far up the pitch as possible.

Nowadays scouts are looking for more…

Central defenders must also be able to control the ball and instigate attacks. Understanding when to clear the ball is still important.

However…

Having the ability to clear the ball to a teammate, requires awareness and great reading of the game.

The main attributes a scout looks for in a Central Defender are:

Ball Control (becoming more important for defenders)
Bravery in attempting challenges
Concentration
Communication
Height
Position
Reading of the game
Speed
Strong and accurate ball heading (defensive and attacking)
Tackling ability
It is key for a center back to know when to hold up an attack or dive into a challenge. But, this can be developed by training.

What do football scouts look for in a midfielder?
Central midfield is one of the most difficult positions in football. You’ll often find that the most complete footballer plays in this position. Not only must they be able to control the game. They must also have stamina and defensive abilities to break down opposing attacks.

It is fair to say that central midfielders need to be able to do everything.

However…

The main attributes a scout will be looking for are:

Awareness
Ball control
Breaking into the opposing box
Marking abilities
Passing ability under pressure
Positioning
Stamina
Tackling and defensive abilities
Vision
All in all, a central midfielder needs to control the play and is the glue that holds the team together.

Think:

Lampard, Pirlo Gerrard, Scholes, Xavi, Iniesta and you’ll understand the qualities needed.

What do football scouts look for in a winger or wide midfielder?
Wingers or wide midfielders are often the most exciting players on the pitch. Nothing gets the crowd on their feet more than when a pacey tricky winger go past a fullback.

Scouts are no different. A player with blistering pace is an exciting option for any football recruiter.

Other attributes scouts look for in wide players are:

Pace
Technical ability like dribbling and close control
Off-the-ball intelligence
Creativity
Crossing
Decision Making
Vision
What do football scouts look for in a striker?
The main thing scouts want to see in a striker is Goals.

Are you a natural finisher? Do you hesitate in front of goal, or strike with confidence without looking up. These skills show awareness of your position on the pitch and a strikers instinct.

Goals win games, and that’s why attacking players receive the highest salaries in the game.

However,

Scouts also want to assess a players movement off the ball. Do they make well-timed runs, creating space for teammates. Is the player strong enough to hold off defenders and hold up the ball?