Talent Identification at We Make Footballers

We Make Footballers hold regular Talent Identification Events across our venues to give individuals with potential the chance to be seen by soccer managers and scouts. Those selected may get a chance to sign for teams and academies as a result. Talent ID events help players from local areas find pathways ways into local teams and beyond. We always deliver the best experience for our Talent ID events and they are packed with soccer, excitement, and fun!

Professional and Grassroots clubs all over the world are using Talent ID as their main source of scouting as it saves time, money and gives scouts the chance to see more players each year. Fewer scouts will spend their time watching one-off games when they can see all the local teams in an area in one afternoon or morning.

Our Talent ID events are available for children aged 5-12 years old, with special Under 7’s yearly events focused on producing teams for our partner clubs. Experienced We Make Footballers coaches run the day in a safe and secure location. Parents and guardians are able to observe their children having fun and playing soccer!

Soccer Scouting: What is Talent Identification in soccer?

Talent identification in soccer is the process by which soccer scouts find and promise players to a soccer club or academy. Talent scouts are professionally trained to look for a series of indicators of both "talent" and "potential". While it's relatively easy to recognise talent, recognising potential is slightly more difficult.

Scouts will look for "early indicators of talent" - these indicators will differ depending on the club and the individual scout.

It is a great way for young and talented players to set up prospects for the future.

What is the importance of Talent Identification?

For young players, talent identification is the first step in progressing from amateur to professional athlete. When players are scouted, it often means that they have a natural ability or high potential to play well in professional soccer clubs and, if they're lucky, maybe even in the premier league.

It can sometimes be difficult for parents to recognise if their child has talent. This is completely understandable as the highest priority for parents is that their child has fun! Because of this naturally talented young soccer player may miss out on professional opportunities that they wouldn't have otherwise.

That's why talent scouts are here! They develop sophisticated scouting strategies to identify children who have the potential to become elite athletes or join a professional club.

What age do footballers get scouted?

Footballers are often identified at a young age. This is so they can learn the necessary skills early. Coaches will continue to contribute to the development of their performance, knowledge, and skills as they develop a strong understanding of soccer.

This could start as early as 7 and as late as 22. Though most young footballers are scouted at the age of 13.

Do You Have To Be In A Soccer Club to Be Scouted?

Not necessarily, though it does make it easier. Clubs and academies will invite recruiters or talent scouts to see footballers play. Making it easier for your young player to be scouted.

Though, at We Make Footballers, we often invite scouts to observe the players. And so if your child is playing with us, it's likely that a soccer scout will be conducting a talent identification search at some point.

How does a professional Soccer Scout recognise talent? / What do scouts look for in players?

As mentioned above, soccer scouting use "early indicators of talent". While this varies from talent scout to talent scout, there are eight main indicators that are often taken into consideration. These are:

• Maturity
• Physiological Abilities
• Technical Skills
• Tactical Skills
• Psycho-Social Attributes
• Deliberate Practive
• Genetic Factors
• Finally, the context of the talent identification procedure is taken into play as well.

While these eight factors are often taken into consideration, there are other ways that talent scouts will determine if a player is scouted or not. Attributes like leadership, focus, potential for growth and progress, an understanding and knowledge of soccer as a sport, and on-field performance are all factors that are taken into consideration when scouting.

Is it hard to get scouted?

While it's not particularly easy to get scouted, it's not impossible. When young players have the skills listed above, it's difficult for a talent scout to miss them.

At We Make Footballers, we'll have a soccer scout come to observe our players every so often. So if your child is playing with us during a talent identification period, and they have the skills and drive, it might be easier than expected to get scouted.

What happens If my child gets scouted?

Once a child is scouted, they'll usually be invited to a soccer trial to have their skills assessed. If they pass this assessment, then they could be offered a contract.

Important to Keep in Mind

It's important to not let kid's expectations get the better of them. We want kids to play soccer for the fun of it, rather than playing to reach an end goal. If your children aren't scouted, that doesn't mean that they're bad at soccer, or that they won't be scouted later. But it's important that they understand that getting scouted shouldn't be their goal. This will put unnecessary pressure on them, which, if they aren't scouted, could lead to low moods while playing soccer, or even quitting all together!

We want kids to be kids, and we want kids to enjoy playing soccer. At We Make Footballers, it's our goal to ensure that children have fun and learn skills that will benefit them while also having fun.