11 Questions with David Peat

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is David Peat:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

I played to a decent level when I was younger but was never quite good enough to make the grade. When I was around 18/19 I got in touch with some clubs via e-mail and done some work for a couple of League 2 clubs in England but that didn’t last long and I went back to just concentrating on my Full Time job. 

I then decided around 4 years or so ago that I wanted to be back involved in Football so once again I enquired with clubs, several times with my CV and examples of my work and was contacted by David Haworth who was then Head of Academy Recruitment at Blackpool. I went in to help-out at the Academy before my work moved me to the First Team with Peter Glover. Since then I’ve done some things for other clubs as well and I’m now in a role with Willem II but my main bit of advice here would be not to be too proud to keep making enquiries. It takes time but eventually an opportunity will come.

What attracted you to scouting/analytics? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I have loved football since I can remember and I was always attracted by the prospect of finding the next top player or using my knowledge of the game to help a club improve it’s recruitment. I’m not entirely sure why, It was just always stuck out as something I wanted to do. As for numbers or names, neither are the be all and end all, It’s very easy to see numbers and jump without assessing how a players attitude affects his game or how he reacts when the team is winning or losing, on the flip side, never just recommend someone because of their name or because they have played at decent sized clubs. Always do your own research and watch as much of the player as you can.

Who/what is the first player/concept you "found"? What caught your eye?

In terms of players, my first major recommendation who was taken on was Jordan Thompson at Blackpool, once I knew Rangers weren’t offering him a new deal I acted quickly and put the case across to take him in, This moved me from Academy to First Team fairly quickly. Jordan has now moved on to Stoke. In terms of a concept, I’m not so sure there is one that I “found” but I think most modern ideas in an analytical sense when coupled with traditional scouting can be valuable.

Who/what is the player/concept you "missed" on? What did you learn from it?

Given my avenue into football was through a traditional sense and youth scouting then I would say I missed out on a lot of concepts that it took me time to get to grips with. Things like xG weren’t something I had used but as I’ve said previously, almost all tools are useful when you couple with traditional scouting and going to games.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

I think I’d definitely get involved in more of the analytical side of things from the start, I was certainly perhaps a little naïve to a lot of systems and concepts which I’d have like to get to grips with earlier. I think these systems can go a long way to narrowing down a search before attending games.

Do you see player development as more of an art or a science? Is development on the club or the player? Why?

I think it’s a combination. There is certainly an art to development in a natural ability sense and the desire to be the best you can be, however the science accompanying that with the right coaches, facilities and surroundings only nurtures the development further. Again the development is neither just on the club or the player, The club has a duty to provide the best environment possible for a player but the player needs to have the desire to use this to it’s maximum. If only the club gave 100% or only the player gave 100% then the development would stunt and potentially break down.

What is your favourite sports moment? Why?

I think as a Rangers supporter there are maybe a few, Completing 9 in a row in 1997 was a big one, despite me only being 9 years old. Then I’d say reaching the UEFA Cup Final in 2008 after a penalty shoot-out away to Fiorentina in the semi-final. Despite the result in the final not going our way it was still an excellent experience to go and see my club in a European final.

What coach/player/team inspires you? Why?

A few answers here and not all football! I think the obvious answers here are Alex Ferguson for his longevity and continued success at the highest level, Walter Smith for his continued success at Rangers over two spells as manager where he seemed to get so much out of players, Early Jose Mourinho for his spells at Porto, Chelsea (first time) and Inter Milan where he achieved excellent success, especially in Europe and lastly Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, again for coming up with a formula of longevity in success, especially in a competition as evenly spread as the NFL in terms of caps and the draft order. You see I like long runs of success! I think being able to continually win at the highest level is a supreme talent.

In terms of footballing people who inspire me then I’d stake a claim for Ross Wilson who is the current Sporting Director at Rangers, He started in a voluntary capacity at Falkirk before going on to Watford, Huddersfield, Southampton and now Rangers. In all different roles while continuing to learn and grow himself into Full Time positions.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into scouting/analytics?

The first bit of advice here is don’t turn down any opportunity! Regardless of who it is and where it is. Build yourself a CV and network, network, network!! As important as your skill set and CV is, Networking in this game is probably more important. Getting to know people in the game, sharing your ideas and building those relationships of trust will help you to continually grow and make it far easier to find roles in the game. 

If you plan on being secretive and keeping yourself to yourself then you’ll find it difficult. 

Secondly, be open to all sides of scouting in the modern game. Take on board things from traditional scouting but also delve into the world of analytics, don’t be afraid to get in touch with people involved in football for help and advice, most of them are nice… I promise! 

Lastly, get in touch with clubs, push your work and continue to chase opportunities, Don’t decide after a few clubs saying they have no positions that nothing will ever come because you need to be relentless if you want it. Keep going.

What is your favorite app/tool to use (for work or fun)?

I’d say either Wyscout or InStat. These are great tools for using data and helping you narrow down your search. I’d recommend either. I also like creating tools on things like excel.

What other sport/hobby/discipline do you feel improves your work as an analyst? Why?

I think there are a range of things that help that we probably don’t even realise. In terms of me personally I’d say things like reading either football based books or books of successful people. I would also say my interest in some American Sports, in particular the NFL helps as they are hugely driven by numbers and stats.