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 Xander Wilkinson, first team scout with an Eredivisie club.
How did your first opportunity in football come about?
My very first opportunity within football came through a lot of hard work and sacrifices. I spent a season or 2 going to watch matches at all levels from local pub teams in the parks, semi pro, lowest level professionals, the lowest rated academies, and all the different leagues from the premier league down, just in order to get myself in a position where I could clearly identify the levels and difference between the leagues and requirements to make the jumps up.
My very first opportunity within football came through a lot of hard work and sacrifices. I spent a season or 2 going to watch matches at all levels from local pub teams in the parks, semi pro, lowest level professionals, the lowest rated academies, and all the different leagues from the premier league down, just in order to get myself in a position where I could clearly identify the levels and difference between the leagues and requirements to make the jumps up.
During this process I was networking constantly. I would ring people within the game I had made contact with, agents, performance analysts, scouts, even kitten, simply for advice in breaking in, and I was constantly creating reports on players I was watching and sending them to these people for feedback to help me develop my approach and work. I contacted EVERY professional club in the top league of every nation in Europe, and all MLS and USL sides looking for simply voluntary work in order to gain the experience I needed to move into the industry and even asking for any roles within the club, washing to kits, anything.
The big thing was, I knew any entry into a club was the way to go! Some clubs I spent a lot of time evaluating and actually created reports on players and pitched them to the clubs as I believe it was what they required after being inspired by the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” where I remember Jordan Belfort the main character said that he pitched a stock in his opening interview for a position on Wall Street.
What attracted you to scouting?
Well the dream as a child was always to be a professional footballer. I didn’t make it. After spending time at academies as a junior and then ending up at a semi pro level, I completely fell out of love with the sport! I then began playing locally for a team after my friend rang me one Friday night saying his team were short the next day, and from there I got the big back and was hooked, and realised I needed to be in football somewhere, but I am a big nerd for stadiums. I enjoyed helping people progress and passing on advice, but I also quickly found myself analysing players more and that I was more suited for scouting than going down the coaching route! I love the buzz of walking out in a stadium, hearing the murmurs of fans chatting in anticipation, the build up of tension, the floodlights bouncing off the grass. It’s just magical, and I knew I suited being in the stands.
If you could start over what skill would you build on first?
Communication/social skills. I heavily investing in the networking side of things to help move up the ladder, but as a scout you spend a lot of time chatting before games with other scouts and agents that you regularly see and like meeting anyone, the usual pleasantries are exchanged and then general chit chat about life and football follows. Early on I was a nervous, quiet scout. Kept myself to myself and couldn’t hold much of a conversation together with the other scouts. I quickly developed and was perfectly fine, but I feel I could’ve benefit from some kind of social skills within a football industry.
Do you see player development as more of an art or a science?
I don’t think you can heavily come down on either side really. An artist doesn’t sit down and paint the Mona Lisa on their first day with a brush, they build up to it and develop their approach and talents, but they do have some kind of natural ability to be able to produce those kind of masterpieces. Science can massively contribute to helping players reach their optimal level though. Especially now with the level of detail that goes into the sports science side of the game to make sure players are balanced muscle wise, they can learn straight after a game the precise moments they made an error. If anything I fall slightly more on the art side, but you can’t succeed without both sides.
What is your favorite sports moment? Why?
It’s not actually football related. But “the miracle at medinah” in the Ryder Cup in 2012. The European golf team were trailing 10-6 going into the final day, USA only required 4.5 points to win the Ruder Cup, and inspired by the recent death of former European golf legend Seve Ballesteros who was embroidered on their bags, the European team somehow managed to win the match 14.5-13.5 on the final day. A moment when you stand up and applaud the drive and will power of elite sportsman who usually play individually, but came together and inspired each other as a team!
What coach/player/team inspires you? Why?
Sebastian Arnesen, who is currently an international scout with Manchester City. I am fortunate enough to have conversed with him on multiple occasions for advice and general chit chat, but he has worked for some of the best clubs in the world, and his list of successes at a young age is already superb! Helped by his legendary father Frank Arnesen, he has made his own path now and a very humble man at the same time!
What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into scouting/analytics?
Don’t turn any opportunity down! If your local pub team offers you a role as an analyst/scout, take it! It is so tough to get into the industry, and experience is the biggest thing clubs look for when employing, and too many people think they can just walk in a club at Championship level or something and straight away be able to work with the first team. It’s not going to happen! You have to prove yourself within the professional environment. Anyone can compose a few tweets about players they see are doing well. But scouting is not that. You have to be able to clearly identify the tactical identity of your team, discuss with your club the specific needs players they’re looking for, and finding someone who fits that. Everyone can spot a good player, that’s not hard. But spotting someone who is not playing well but can step up is a skill you learn! Someone could be playing in a system that far from suits them, but you see something that would work for you, even though they aren’t playing well at all. Any club that offers you a chance. Take it!! The experience will be invaluable as you learn your trade.
What is your favorite app/tool to use (for work or fun)?
I am fortunate enough to have unlimited access with Instat due to my work with my club, so I combine looking at stats and various things on Wyscout, to watch unlimited footage on Instat which I find fun, but obviously that is in a professional sense too!
What other sport/hobby/discipline do you feel improves your work as an analyst/scout? Why?
I am one of these people who feels like you can take aspects of anything and apply it to your own field if it transfers. But a big one for me, is I am a big fan of boxing, and I feel the level of commitment boxers show with their training camps is like the football season. They commit to the cause, remain focused on the goal, and then as soon as their fight is over, down time, holiday, completely switch off. That is how I approach scouting. If you try to work everyday, and watch 3/4 games a day, you will burn out. Fact! I see it all the time with people trying to become scouts, they think it’s about watching as many games as possible in a short amount of time. It’s not. You need the down time to relax and do other things. You’ll be more productive as a result. So when the down time is available. Make the most of it!
What attracted you to scouting?
Well the dream as a child was always to be a professional footballer. I didn’t make it. After spending time at academies as a junior and then ending up at a semi pro level, I completely fell out of love with the sport! I then began playing locally for a team after my friend rang me one Friday night saying his team were short the next day, and from there I got the big back and was hooked, and realised I needed to be in football somewhere, but I am a big nerd for stadiums. I enjoyed helping people progress and passing on advice, but I also quickly found myself analysing players more and that I was more suited for scouting than going down the coaching route! I love the buzz of walking out in a stadium, hearing the murmurs of fans chatting in anticipation, the build up of tension, the floodlights bouncing off the grass. It’s just magical, and I knew I suited being in the stands.
If you could start over what skill would you build on first?
Communication/social skills. I heavily investing in the networking side of things to help move up the ladder, but as a scout you spend a lot of time chatting before games with other scouts and agents that you regularly see and like meeting anyone, the usual pleasantries are exchanged and then general chit chat about life and football follows. Early on I was a nervous, quiet scout. Kept myself to myself and couldn’t hold much of a conversation together with the other scouts. I quickly developed and was perfectly fine, but I feel I could’ve benefit from some kind of social skills within a football industry.
Do you see player development as more of an art or a science?
I don’t think you can heavily come down on either side really. An artist doesn’t sit down and paint the Mona Lisa on their first day with a brush, they build up to it and develop their approach and talents, but they do have some kind of natural ability to be able to produce those kind of masterpieces. Science can massively contribute to helping players reach their optimal level though. Especially now with the level of detail that goes into the sports science side of the game to make sure players are balanced muscle wise, they can learn straight after a game the precise moments they made an error. If anything I fall slightly more on the art side, but you can’t succeed without both sides.
What is your favorite sports moment? Why?
It’s not actually football related. But “the miracle at medinah” in the Ryder Cup in 2012. The European golf team were trailing 10-6 going into the final day, USA only required 4.5 points to win the Ruder Cup, and inspired by the recent death of former European golf legend Seve Ballesteros who was embroidered on their bags, the European team somehow managed to win the match 14.5-13.5 on the final day. A moment when you stand up and applaud the drive and will power of elite sportsman who usually play individually, but came together and inspired each other as a team!
What coach/player/team inspires you? Why?
Sebastian Arnesen, who is currently an international scout with Manchester City. I am fortunate enough to have conversed with him on multiple occasions for advice and general chit chat, but he has worked for some of the best clubs in the world, and his list of successes at a young age is already superb! Helped by his legendary father Frank Arnesen, he has made his own path now and a very humble man at the same time!
What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into scouting/analytics?
Don’t turn any opportunity down! If your local pub team offers you a role as an analyst/scout, take it! It is so tough to get into the industry, and experience is the biggest thing clubs look for when employing, and too many people think they can just walk in a club at Championship level or something and straight away be able to work with the first team. It’s not going to happen! You have to prove yourself within the professional environment. Anyone can compose a few tweets about players they see are doing well. But scouting is not that. You have to be able to clearly identify the tactical identity of your team, discuss with your club the specific needs players they’re looking for, and finding someone who fits that. Everyone can spot a good player, that’s not hard. But spotting someone who is not playing well but can step up is a skill you learn! Someone could be playing in a system that far from suits them, but you see something that would work for you, even though they aren’t playing well at all. Any club that offers you a chance. Take it!! The experience will be invaluable as you learn your trade.
What is your favorite app/tool to use (for work or fun)?
I am fortunate enough to have unlimited access with Instat due to my work with my club, so I combine looking at stats and various things on Wyscout, to watch unlimited footage on Instat which I find fun, but obviously that is in a professional sense too!
What other sport/hobby/discipline do you feel improves your work as an analyst/scout? Why?
I am one of these people who feels like you can take aspects of anything and apply it to your own field if it transfers. But a big one for me, is I am a big fan of boxing, and I feel the level of commitment boxers show with their training camps is like the football season. They commit to the cause, remain focused on the goal, and then as soon as their fight is over, down time, holiday, completely switch off. That is how I approach scouting. If you try to work everyday, and watch 3/4 games a day, you will burn out. Fact! I see it all the time with people trying to become scouts, they think it’s about watching as many games as possible in a short amount of time. It’s not. You need the down time to relax and do other things. You’ll be more productive as a result. So when the down time is available. Make the most of it!
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