Journey in Scouting
With the current buzz around Scouting in Malaysia, I would just like to share the journey that I managed to have gone through so far in the industry. This is in no means a success story as of yet, but I hope it can inspire a few or guide some to embark on this journey together. Scouting, the general idea of being the person on the side-lines looking for talented players that can play in the leagues above. It is somewhat true in a sense that you are constantly on the hunt looking for players with big potential.
Generally speaking, most of the people who are looking to venture out into the world of scouting are either passionate loving football fans or a seasoned veteran in playing Football Manager or Championship Manager for some or just both. I fall into the category of 'Both',
Okay so where can we start being a scout? To be fair, you can consider yourself a scout if you had uncovered many talents on FM and then they turned to be great players. Some would disagree on this but it ticks off the list in my eyes.
To be honest, I started by just writing articles for fun, I was given the chance to write a few articles for a Scouting Network which is based in Belgium by Mr. Jacek Kulig
@FTalentScout which was when I started to actually enjoy in writing short analysis on players. This is also where me and @chunhang7 got really close, he had a knack for writing articles as well. Especially the unreleased ones which I thought were definitely superb. Chunhang has been the definition of my Day 1.
After my 2nd article that was published which was on Arif Aiman, I felt the urge to actually go into football scouting as a whole. I think this is where I can relate with a few people, who had doubts regarding moving into the football industry. So, let's see what I did.
1. Choosing the Scouting Courses. This is very important because during my time looking for the courses in Malaysia, I could not find any, so I had to find Courses that are available online for me to attend. That’s where I found @ThePFSA and from there I was guided to choose which courses were suitable for beginners like me. During that time I already had completed my Introductory to Talent Identification by the English FA which was provided by @EnglandLearning. Now, it looks like you guys have a head start, because @FAM_Malaysia is conducting courses for future scouts! So be sure to register on that! This is a huge step up because you will be considered as national-level scouts. Go on!
2. Creating your own Scouting Network. After completing all my certifications, I focused on creating a LinkedIn profile where I could be connected with scouts from all over the world to which I managed to create an abundance of friends regarding this journey.
When connected with other scouts, I did not hesitate in regularly dropping in and asking what can I do to improve my reports and analysis. To which they all replied and showed me proper guidance. I was then became more hopeful when I saw @yuki_scouting
managing to land a role for a club that is quite known in England. That's when I really wanted to go for it. Yuki helped me as well in a way that he gave me assurances that the journey is a long one and you have to trust.
3. Applying for Scouting Roles. Before I was given the chance to be with @we_are_scouting, I really tried my chance with another Scouting Group to which I did not pass the final test, where my reports was said not to be up to standard of what they needed at the time.
It was a heartbreak for me during that time because I felt I had done everything, but it just goes to show that there is always a learning curve in life and you have to accept it. I did just that and was given the chance to work with @we_are_scouting. At W.A.S, I was introduced into the different types in scouting. Well, people can argue at how can you be a scout remotely? This is where I learnt about the role of a Video Analyst. Now, everything is recorded, therefore platforms like @Wyscout, @InStatFootball really helps.
How do they help? They both provide statistics and videos on players that you are on the look for, regardless of the quality of the player. If that player suits your liking, then you can find the 'data' to back your claim in your reports.
Thus in my opinion, given the term of a Video Analyst really suits the modern scouting era. So yes, in hindsight, you can be a scout-from-home.
4. Finding a club. I was more than lucky to be given a chance to work with @KertehFC, a club that really has its foundations for Youth Development which correlates with my own beliefs in this industry, which is to help the next batch of players to play outside of Malaysia.
Questions that will pop up.
1. Are scouts getting paid enough?
- Depends on the club. But some of my friends abroad said that only top tier clubs pay their scouts well and some gets reimbursements on their travel and scouting expenses. Again, in Malaysia, I have no concrete info.
2. The career path?
- Well there are a few success stories of scouts that became coaches, or became Heads of Recruitment or even the Technical Director. Again, the industry is really kind on growth.
3. Will Malaysia fully adopt scouts?
- I think as of recently, our country really is trying to move forward in the whole process, and really it is interesting to see how it pans out in the future.
Conclusion
1. Choose Scouting Courses
2. Creating Your Own Scouting Network
3. Apply for Scouting Roles
4. Find a Club that suits you
So yeah, this is in the present now and Praise to Allah, so far everything is going smoothly and Alhamdulillah, to be given the chance to work on both exciting projects with @KertehFC and @we_are_scouting, truly is a pleasure of mine.
This article was written by Adam Sariman
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