Talent Identification: My opinions and what I like to look for...

Hey everyone,

I hope you’ve enjoyed your week and are looking forward to a great weekend! I’m sorry that there was no mid-week review on Wednesday, the Bermuda Basketball League games were postponed unfortunately, but we are scheduled to be back in action tomorrow!

This week, I’m going to talk about talent identification in football, with a concentration on Bermuda, and what I like to look for in a player. The four pillars I like to focus on are technical ability, physical traits, understanding of the game, and finally attitude. I believe that all of these are important for a player to take their game to the next level, at any level that is. However, coming from Bermuda and trying to make it in leagues in other countries where competition is fierce, it is imperative to know where to dedicate training and what to improve upon.

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Technical ability

In my opinion, when evaluating a player’s technical ability a scout, coach, agent, etc. must be able to do so in a manner which successfully separates unnecessary flash, from actual production and in-game application. I say this with the acknowledgement of the immense skill that footballers and other athletes posses, and I love to experience the beautiful skills that we are privileged to watch in-game or via social media. This isn’t to say that these athletes are wasting their time practicing these abilities, far from it in fact. A lot of these skills do have beneficial uses in a match-setting, if used correctly, not overly relied upon, and done so in the right situations.

We often hear the phrase (particularly in basketball, but is also true in football and other sports), “million dollar move with a ten cent finish”, which I think perfectly describes scenarios as stated above. For example, if you’re a winger who possess amazing 1 v 1 ability, but no end product, what do you bring to a team? Imagine you create an amazing chance after leaving your defender in the rear-view mirror, but can’t put in a useful cross? Or read the second line of defense and adjust accordingly? What use is your skill in this situation? I implore young footballers, particularly those in Bermuda trying to make a career for themselves abroad, to improve on the little things now. This can be done in conjunction with perfecting all those tricks and skills that made you fall in love with the game when you were younger.

Physical traits

This one is probably more for scouts, coaches, and other club officials. Immense importance is placed on an athletes physical traits and abilities, and for good reason obviously. But there are instances where an over-commitment to finding the right physical profile based on traditional thinking, can actually hamper the process in finding the right player profile. For example, I worked with a goalkeeper who was 6’1”, and a lot of club at steps 1-6 in the English National League system would express concern over this. Rightly so to an extent, as height is a desirable trait in a keeper for obvious reasons. But the strengths of this keeper was his ability on the ball, building play from the back, and his distribution. Now this isn’t to say his talents weren’t sought after, far from it, but from working closely with him for just over 2 years, I know a lot of clubs were hesitant due to his size.

There are certain positions in football and other sports, where your physical traits and abilities might just hold more weight than your actual ability in that position. However, it is interesting to see sometimes that the players who don’t fit the physical mold of the position they play, probably based on height, weight, speed, vertical, etc. are often exceptionally skilled in desirable areas of that position. We’re starting to see extreme versions of this in basketball, where the game is becoming almost ‘position-less’ to an extent, where size for certain positions doesn’t matter as much as on-ball abilities such as shooting and dribbling. Not to say that one fully trumps the other, but more so that both go hand in hand, and in some situations, one might not matter as much as the other, and vice versa.

Understanding of the game/awareness

To play or compete in any sport requires an understanding of the rules of the game. I believe a player’s level of awareness in a match-setting will dictate just how effective they can be within the sport. Football is very strategic in that no two teams play exactly alike, and while there may be clubs who draw inspiration from each other, player profiles, manager ideologies, and club goals will always have an impact. Despite this however, a footballer needs to know not only what their role is, but the roles of their teammates and opposition.

This is something a player will really develop and hone as they get older and continue to play. The game begins to slow down and your actions within the match become almost second nature. You see this across the pitch in all positions, and it is interesting to see how players go about executing their awareness and understanding in ways that effect the match. From knowing when to occupy space, when to move based on the defender or attackers movement, and changing your pace while attacking or defending, are all great examples of in-game awareness. This part of sport has always interested me, and I think the only two ways to really grow in this area is to watch plenty of film (study, study, study!) and continue to play and actually apply what you’ve learned and practiced.

Attitude and Coachability

Above all else, this section for me is of the utmost importance. No matter how skilled you might think you are, if you can’t be coached, or take criticism, or take it upon yourself to improve, then you won’t make it. I think this is something that can never be said enough to a player, regardless of age, and is something I think should be heralded a little bit more amongst the professional ranks. While it isn’t something we always notice, especially as fans watching from the outside, those within a club environment or around a team should acknowledge those who are coachable and approach the game with a desire to learn, the trickle down effect on youth players would be fantastic.

If what you read today interested you further in talent identification, you should check out the courses offered by both the Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA) and the England FA. I’ve completed various courses around talent ID and scouting from both organizations, and have found them to be both insightful and beneficial to the work I do now with athletes.

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Cheers,

Jason