About this episode

Ben and Mike discuss what scouts look for in young football players with Sean Conlon, providing insights for parents and coaches.

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 — 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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ben Welch, Mike Clark

Guest: Sean Conlon

Topics covered

• youth football
• scouting
• grassroots coaching
• parenting in sports
• player development

Keywords

• academy football
• grassroots players
• scouts
• youth development
• football coaching

Sponsors

GoCardless, Football Discount Kits

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chelsea, QPR, We Make Footballers, Project Footballer, Football DNA

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