Being scouted by a professional football team is most kids’ dream. After years of watching some of the most talented athletes on the planet take action on a football pitch and win some of the best prizes in world football, why wou;dn’t anyone want to have the opportunity to do the same? One day seeing your name in newspapers, in movies, documentaries, and even the favourite on the premier league football betting markets.
But how do you get there? Well, the majority of players all start out by playing for local clubs near to where they live. There are so many Saturday and Sunday football teams that you can play for in your local area or even around your country if you could put up with the weekly long drives. These teams aren’t run in the same way as professional teams, they are mainly to get kids into football and to have fun, which is the most important message.
Players will pay a seasonally subscription to play for the teams and this might cover the cost of their training sessions each week, pay for their football kits, accessories and more. It really does differ depending on which club you play for. From here, you will be entered into a local league playing other local teams. Scouts will then come to watch games and choose players to then be registered into the academy of professional teams, where they can then work their way up to the first team.
We are going to look at what traits you need to have in order to be picked out by a scout and what they look for.
What Scouts Look For
Skillset
One of the most important attributes a player needs to have is skill. When it comes to going pro, more than likely you will focus on one position, or similar positions. This means you need the required skills to play well in those positions. For example, if you want to be a goalkeeper, you need good positioning, handling, kicking, commanding and to be very vocal, as you’re the only player that can see the whole pitch.
If your aim is to be a top striker, you need to have good footwork, excellent shot placement and power, stamina, pace and potentially strength. It may seem like a lot for a child to have at such a young age but if you can show signs of these skills, then you can always improve once you get into the academy.
Leadership
One thing a lot of teams still lack to this day is leadership. Leadership is a skill that some people think you are naturally born with. The ability to lead your team to victory, motivate every player even when times are tough and to set a positive example every time you play, it’s something that is hard to come by, which is why every team only has one captain and not many have a captain that ticks all the boxes.
You need to show a great mentality. To not be afraid when playing against bigger, potentially better teams, to give everything you have and to always look to improve.
Physique
Having the right physique as a footballer is vital. The game is getting increasingly competitive as the standard of football seems to be rising. If you want to be able to keep up with the run of play, you need to be in shape. A lot of footballers make sacrifices, for example they rarely smoke, they rarely drink, they keep a healthy balanced diet and they ensure they exercise regularly. As a kid, when your metabolism is still fast, this is the perfect time to get your body in pristine condition, show you can show stamina and pace on the football field for the full 90 minutes.
