ARNOLD’S ON TRACK TO FIND HIS NEXT TALENT

LEE Arnold is a professional scout who spent 17 years scouring the Non-League scene for Crewe Alexandra – and actually recommended Jamie Vardy to the Railwaymen when the striker played for Stocksbridge.

Now at League One Shrewsbury, he explains in his own words what a scout is looking for in a V9 hopeful.

“What you’re looking for very much depends on what club you’re working for,” he says. “Not everyone has the same demands.

“You’re looking for their strengths, obviously. But you’re also looking at whether they will make a difference to your first team or your Under-23s.

“Crewe always had a very technical academy. If you had a technical flaw, they would happily sort that out. So they looked for athletes.

“John Guthrie was playing in the Wessex League when we spotted him. He was 6ft 4ins, he had a bit of pace, great left foot. He needed to work on his aggressiveness as a centre-half and his general technique.

“He came in on trial, was there for about six months, playing Under-18s, Under-23s, academy football. They molded him into what they wanted, he went into the first-team and ended up playing 100 games.

Shrewsbury are different. They don’t have an Under-23 team so they want players who are ready made – or at least very close. If they won’t at least make the bench, it’s no good.

“They’ve also got a much greater focus on character. So if we see somebody here, we’ll do a lot of research. We ask former managers, former team-mates. We look for news stories and study social media accounts. We do a really thorough background check to make sure they’ll suit the group. It doesn’t matter how good someone is if they upset the balance.

“I’ve seen some players already this season who are here at V9. I won’t mention any names but there are one or two who I think could be on the bench in League One now.

“For all of them, though, it’s about timing. I was watching Jamey Osborne when he was at Hednesford and I spent five years trying to get him in on loan. But there was simply no space with all the academy lads coming through.

“Lots of clubs will put their academy first, so it isn’t the case that lads who aren’t signed aren’t good enough. It’s about timing – and luck. Ultimately, I can recommend a player but it’s the manager who makes the decision."