# What scouts REALLY look for in grassroots players Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-s-only-kids-football-6977406/what-scouts-really-look-for-in-grassroots-players Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-s-only-kids-football-6977406/what-scouts-really-look-for-in-grassroots-players.md Podcast: [It's Only Kids Football](https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-s-only-kids-football-6977406) Published: 2026-06-22T04:30:00+00:00 Episode link: https://linktr.ee/itsonlykidsfootballpodcast Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/66a361b8d34ffa9141b184b4/e/6a37a0c04a2a3be0f4d309a2/media.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/it-s-only-kids-football-6977406/episodes/what-scouts-really-look-for-in-grassroots-players Duration seconds: 3982 ## Resource What does it really take for a young player to make it in academy football and what are parents and grassroots coaches getting wrong? In this episode, Ben and Mike sit down with Sean Conlon, a former Chelsea and QPR academy coach and scout, to get honest answers from inside the system. Sean, now the ceo of We Make Footballers and founder of Project Footballer, breaks down the reality of youth football in the UK - from why early talent means nothing long-term, to what scouts actually look for (and it’s not just skills). The conversation dives into mindset, habits, and the huge influence parents have from the sidelines. Ben and Mike ask the questions every grassroots parent and coach is thinking, while Sean shares practical, no-nonsense insight on how to support young players properly, without adding pressure or taking the joy out of the game. Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/ Power your grassroots team with effortless payments β€” sign up with GoCardless today at https://gocardless.com/g/payments-sports-clubs/ and spend less time chasing fees, more time developing your players. Football Discount Kits supplies quality football kits at prices that actually work for grassroots clubs β€” no nonsense, no hard sell, just reliable teamwear that arrives on time and looks the part on matchday: https://www.discountfootballkits.com/ Save Β£200 on the Veo Cam 3 πŸ‘‰ Use Code: iokfveocam3 Save 50% on the Veo Go πŸ‘‰ Use Code: iokfveogo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iokfootball Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iokfootball/ X (Twitter): https://x.com/iokfootball YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iokfootball Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Itsonlykidsfootballpodcast/ Email: itsonlykidsfootballpodcast@gmail.com Host… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/it-s-only-kids-football-6977406/episodes/what-scouts-really-look-for-in-grassroots-players/transcription-requests` β€” Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/it-s-only-kids-football-6977406/what-scouts-really-look-for-in-grassroots-players.md` β€” Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.