11 Questions with Joshua Askew

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 Joshua Askew:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

My girlfriend's sister played for a team so that gave me an in with the coach.

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

I just love watching football and have probably spent most of my life doing exactly that. I don't really get into the stats side so it would have to be names.

What type of player fascinates you? What caught your eye?

It's a bit of a cop out of an answer but basically any of them. There's always something you can pick up and, when there's not, what they're doing wrong can teach you a lot too. The type of players that I like the most I end up watching a lot of, and therefore understanding better, so I'm not sure "fascinate" would be the right word to describe it at that point.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

Probably that old players (Graeme Souness springs to mind) are clueless. They often don't put the effort into their punditry but I feel like a lot of people throw the baby out with the bathwater when dismissing them.

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

Networking. Even if you're doing everything right, you're not going to get anywhere if no one knows about it. I've seen some pretty useless people get into decent jobs and it's all through inserting themselves into certain circles. It's a pretty cynical view, but I don't think that makes it untrue, and I wish I'd made more of an effort to make connections sooner.

What is more important domain knowledge or curiosity?

Bit of a chicken or the egg I feel. Probably domain knowledge. A lot of top managers seem pretty stubborn and, although that usually catches up with them, it undoutedbly works for a period. That domain knowledge probably came from initial curiosity though so who knows?

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

I'm a Liverpool supporter so Istanbul. I don't think I really need to say more.

What coach or player would you give a lifetime contract to? Why?

Again, as a Liverpool supporter I'm going to go with either Jurgen Klopp or Trent Alexander-Arnold, and I think it's pretty self-evident why.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Harrass people who know more than you until they help you out.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Javier Mascherano was my favourite footballer. His agent Walter Tamer summed it up better than I could: “If you’re driving and take a wrong turn, Mascherano blames himself for not having told you.”

What is your favorite quote or saying?

Pretty much any of the grandiose things Bill Shankly said.