Everybody on social media is an professional.
Or so they might have you ever consider. However on occasion, which may simply be the case.
Serie A facet Como 1907 definitely appear to assume so, having lately employed 20-year-old Felix Johnston as a first-team scout.
It's a exceptional step for Johnston, who till lately was a Chelsea content material creator on X, highlighting and offering evaluation on the brightest stars on the membership's academy.
Now he's serving to discover gamers to enhance a facet managed by former Chelsea, Arsenal and Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas in Italy's high flight.
“It has been a protracted journey,” Johnston advised BBC Radio 5 Stay's Monday Evening Membership.
“It began with my buddy messaging my throughout lockdown saying ‘it's essential to get on Twitter, that is the place everyone seems to be speaking about soccer'.
“I took it type of critically, constructed up a following and the place it actually began was after I found the Chelsea academy.
“I fell in love with watching the academy video games, seeing the younger gamers come by way of. It was what I used to be identified for, my area of interest on Twitter.”
From there he started to do his personal scouting of gamers, and Chelsea's youth-focused switch technique gave him a lot to get caught into.
“Immediately their mannequin was all about signing younger gamers so I used to be staying up till 2am watching Kendry Paez on the Below-17 World Cup, Estevao, then discovering skills of my very own,” Johnston added.
“I obtained a little bit of recognition, together with from some folks within the sport, and that made scouting a actuality to me. Previous to that, it was simply really a ardour.”
It's up to now six months that issues have actually moved on for Johnston.
His first step into skilled soccer got here in April when he was employed by Danish staff Vejle as a scouting advisor earlier than, on the finish of July, Como obtained in contact.
“The director of recruitment [at Como] reached out to me on Twitter saying he preferred what I used to be tweeting and that he want to do an internship and discover some fashionable, youthful scouts to carry into the membership,” Johnston mentioned.
“I used to be clearly very comfortable to go together with that and 9 weeks later, I obtained the job.”
So having obtained the dream job, what's Johnston – who's combining the position along with his college research in Milan – being tasked with at Como?
“The director of recruitment who employed me was the top of information at his earlier membership, AZ Alkmaar, and is a really data-focused man,” he mentioned.
“My position, primarily, is that I get handed down knowledge gamers, watch them on the attention and do a report.
“I take a look at the gamers they ask me to take a look at. Nevertheless it's an all-encompassing position, not restricted by any area or place.”
5 full video games is normally thought-about sufficient for Johnston to compile an preliminary report – though that may fluctuate.
“In the event that they play for a low possession facet they usually've not likely touched the ball, then I will want to observe extra only for extra proof,” he defined.
His isn't the standard method into the sport, however Johnston says Como are a “very forward-thinking membership” who “need to get the brand new expertise on the scene”.
With the membership seventh in simply their second yr again in Serie A, it's an method that appears to be working.
In the meantime, Johnston's huge tip for the long run is 16-year-old Deinner Ordonez.
“[Ordonez] is a centre-back at Independiente del Valle in Ecuador – the academy that Moises Caicedo got here by way of. They've had a number of skills and he is very proficient.”
Be aware of that as a result of, any further, Johnston's evaluation and opinion will likely be despatched to Fabregas reasonably than the social media lots.
