Previously, we have heard from Perry Groves and his experiences of being scouted in his early teens. Next up in our series of scouting stories, where we hear from ex-professionals on their experiences of getting scouted and their advice surrounding the subject, is former Leicester City player Matt Elliot.
Elliot offers us a similar yet very different story to Perry Groves. He was initially scouted by Wimbledon at the age of 10 followed by Crystal Palace aged 11. However, he ended up leaving both of these clubs as a teenager.
Following this Elliot entered non-league football in his later teenage years. He relished the experience and excelled in adult football. As a result, he was picked up by Charlton Athletic and from there, his professional career flourished. He ended up staring for Leicester City at the highest level of the game.
On his route to the top, Elliot points that he “was quite fortunate in that respect, I went the slightly alternative route”. He notes that not everyone has the same route into football and therefore everyone should keep plugging away with determination and passion.
“It shows you there are different ways, you don’t have to go through
the academy from a really young age.”
Elliot’s experience of the scouting system in English football reminds us of how useful Irama can be in aiding young careers. At first, Elliot did not succeed in academies as a youngster but once he had matured more as a player he was ready for professional sport. This shows that by using Irama Sports Network one can stay in contact with a network of agents and scouts whilst working on your game. By doing this, players can mature at their own rate and when they are ready they have a greater chance of being scouted.
To become a part of our ever-growing network of coaches, players and scouts, please register for free at irama.world. We help players, scouts, managers, teams and sponsors connect on a network to promote the interests of all members of the football community.
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