What is a Football Talent Scout? | FARPost Originals

Each time I tell someone who doesn’t know me what I do, the question that follows has always been: what is a football talent scout, writes Tera Maliwa.

The most straightforward answer I give is that a football scout is engaged in discovering and recruiting football talent. Simple! 

In my two decades of scouting, I’ve had to regularly attend soccer matches, with my objective being to unearth talent.

In essence, my work as a scout is to discover future stars. Therefore, it is important for anyone who considers themselves a scout to attend as many games as possible to assess their targets. 

But obviously, before you assess them, you must first find them. That is why it is essential to attend as many games as possible.

In most instances, talent scouting will take you away from the glamour of the big stadium to venues hosting games for lower leagues and grassroots football. That is where budding talent is found. 

Interestingly, as a scout, you often turn up to unannounced matches and watch players without making your identity known, especially to parents.

The objective when one scouts for a particular football club is to prepare the team for the future by identifying players best suited for; 

• Team game model or style of play
• Fit into the KPIs of the club (Key Performance Indicators)
• Fit into KAIs of the club (Key Attribute Indicators)

When on a scouting trip, there are several qualities that I consider. They include whether the targeted players are getting proper training at their club, how they warm up, their concentration level and whether they are prepared? 

I consider those essential qualities before focusing on them playing on the pitch. After that, I look at technique, tactical ability, ball skills, hunger for the ball, enthusiasm, and body control. 

Of course, it’s also important to consider balance and awareness and imagination.

It must be noted that scouts watch football differently compared to coaches. When a coach watches a particular player, he follows the entire game, watching how the game flows, following the ball. 

On the other hand, a typical scout will watch their man and not necessarily the game. The idea is to study your man with and without the ball, their concentration level without the ball, their positioning off the ball.

Once I’ve identified a talent that can potentially become an elite competitor, I then provide this individual with the opportunity to join a training environment where they can further develop and bring success to the team.

Perhaps one of the unkind lessons I’ve picked along the way is that bringing a player for a trial is never easy. As a scout, your reputation lies in the quality you choose and get on board for trials. 

Tera Maliwa is a scout and recruitment specialist working for Mamelodi Sundowns as an International Scout and Players’ Loan Manager. He is passionate about scouting and merging the modern and traditional talent identification models. His journey started from youth coaching to International Scouting in Africa and South America.

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