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!

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