How do you become a soccer scout?

What qualities or skills are essential for being a successful soccer scout?

Do you need to take a course to become a football scout?

These are all great questions, and our guest James Doolan has the answers! I love James's story and we had an amazing chat on Episode 33 of the Because Football Podcast. James has forged his own path as a scout, initially reaching out to over 70 clubs via LinkedIn, until he finally got a response from a club in the 6th tier of English football.

Fast forward a few years and he's now a local scout for the academy of Premier League club Everton, as well as performing opposition scouting and performance analysis for other professional clubs. I really admire James's tenacity and how he didn't wait for anyone's permission to become a scout. He also didn't wait to get courses and qualifications - he just did it - and his career is reaping the rewards!

Not only do we discuss his personal path, but also his freelance scouting work of players from West Africa, how he prepares his reports and data, and the opportunities that are coming from that venture. We also get into the details of what he looks for as an academy scout vs opposition scouting, how he works with coaches to identify the type of players they want to sign, and how he creates his reports.

I loved getting to know James and appreciated his transparency and passion - and I know you will, too!

Connect with James:

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Federico Diaz is a Uruguayan-American central defender who has played professionally in 3 different (4 depending on how you count!) continents over the course of his career. Never quick to take no for an answer, he has paved his own path in the soccer world and his passion has sustained him through all the ups and downs.

In Episode 32 of the Because Football Podcast, we discuss the origins of his love for the game - his Uruguayan heritage, along with the requisite associated themes of mate, Penarol and Nacional (the country's two most dominant clubs), and how his parents, and especially his late grandfather, fostered his dreams of becoming a pro.

Federico's tenacity and simple determination really impressed me in this episode. From the story of his first international soccer trial in England, to playing in the Champions League of Oceania for a team in Samoa, I found myself laughing, shaking my head, and nodding in agreement at the journey he's taken.

If you are an aspiring soccer player without a clear path, without someone in your corner, scraping for trials and paid tryouts that you don't have full faith in, this could be the episode for you!

Connect with Federico:

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• https://transformsoccertraining.com/philadelphia-soccer-training/https://www.instagram.com/transformsoccer_/

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Imagine getting to tour your favorite soccer team's stadium everyday, bump into superstar players and legendary coaches in the hallway and nod hello as colleagues, then tell a group of passionate fans all about the history and fascinating secrets of the club?

If that sounds like a dream to you, then you want Gareth Houston's job! Gareth, originally from Belfast, is a stadium tour guide of the BayArena, Bayer Leverkusen's home ground. And not only does he get to share the magic of the club with visitors, he also follows the club around the country and continent as a dedicated fan himself.

Gareth is a lively, articulate guest who made a great impression on Episode 31 of the Because Football Podcast. An avid football fan and co-host of the England B Team Pod, he is full of knowledge about German football culture and shares why it's arguably one of the strongest, most influential groups of football fans in the world. Even if you already know a bit about the Bundesliga and Bayer Leverkusen's dream undefeated title run last season (their first EVER Bundesliga title as a club!), you'll walk away with a deeper understanding of what makes German football tick!

An, for an music (specifically flute lovers), be sure to check out Gareth's In Line G Flute Podcast, too!

Learn More about Gareth

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England B Team Pod

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