Get scouted. Get measured. Keep progressing.

Example analysis

Cullen. U12. Clip and professional report.

This is the kind of file you get. A professional scout watches the clip and feeds back a professional report — individually, age-right, against the footage. The sheet is set out like a scout book: four corners, then the note.

Path2Pro UK · performance analysis · September 2026

Cullen

U12 · Midfield · Right · UK · Youth

Brian Lee · Youth scout at a Championship club and head of recruitment at a Step 6 club

Watched individually this cycle

A professional scout watched Cullen’s clip and wrote this report. U12 midfield. He wants the ball and enjoys the contest. This cycle is both feet, scanning before he receives, and 1v1 play — not a highlight reel. Age-right: how he receives, turns and plays forward, not whether he looks like a senior 10.

Scout book

Four corners. 1–10 against the year group. Same sheet a professional scout marks.

Technical

• First touch6out of 10
• Passing7out of 10
• Dribbling / 1v17out of 10
• Weaker foot6out of 10
• Receiving on the turn6out of 10

Tactical

• Scanning5out of 10
• Decision6out of 10
• Positioning7out of 10
• 1v1 defending8out of 10

Physical

• Speed9out of 10
• Acceleration9out of 10
• Agility7out of 10
• Repeat play6out of 10
• Coordination7out of 10

Psychological

• Wants the ball8out of 10
• Enjoyment8out of 10
• Reset5out of 10
• Teammates7out of 10

In possession

Takes the ball on the half-turn and looks up early. First touch is clean when he has a picture; it gets heavy when the press comes from the side he has not scanned. Encourage both feet in tight spaces — quality over speed.

Out of possession

Recovers toward the ball. At this age we want him to stay in the game after a turnover: body between ball and goal, delay, then win the second action. Don’t dive in and bounce out of the 1v1.

Physical

Coordination and repeat play in small games matter more than gym numbers. Short, sharp work. Sessions stay game-like. A parent or coach can count touches — not laps.

Psychological

Wants the ball. A smile in the contest. If a pass goes wrong, the next action is the reset. Scouts at this age watch enjoyment, courage to receive, and how he treats teammates — as closely as the trick.

Strengths

• Wants the ball in midfield
• Looks forward after the first touch
• Enjoys 1v1s and the contest

Next work

• Scan before the bounce — know who is coming
• Both-foot receiving under light pressure
• Stay in the 1v1 after a turnover

This month’s three tasks

1. 01

   Both-feet ball mastery

   Ten minutes, four times this month: inside, outside and sole rolls with each foot. A parent or coach can count touches — quality over speed.

2. 02

   1v1 play, not drills

   Play small 1v1 or 2v2 in the garden, park or at training. Turns, feints and a smile — not standing in lines.

3. 03

   Scan before you receive

   In rondo or a small game, call the colour or the free man before the ball arrives. Four sessions this month.

The month

First step: Scout Me.

1. 01

   Scout Me

   A professional scout watches you — individually — and feeds back a professional report.

2. 02

   Open a file

   Head and shoulders, age group, position, region, and one clip. That is the brief they watch.

3. 03

   £5 month

   League table for your age group, and the 6 chosen skills tests that month. 1 to 1 coaching and performance analysis is optional, from £30 a session.

4. 04

   The report

   Strengths and next work, written against the clip they watched — not a generic pep talk.

5. 05

   Next cycle

   The same live file. Updated photo, clip and region. Members are watched first the following month.

Who it’s for

Same file. Different job.

Girls and every ability sit in the same pathway. Worldwide.

The journey

One pathway. Eight stages.

1. U54–5 · First kick

   Play, ball mastery and falling in love with the game. Sessions stay short, fun and full of touches.

2. U65–6 · First kick

   Lots of ball, lots of smiles. Both feet, simple games, no long queues.

3. U76–7 · Foundation

   Both feet, 1v1s and game-like practices. We watch how a child receives, turns and enjoys the contest.

4. U87–8 · Foundation

   More 1v1s, first looks up, and the habit of playing with both feet. Still a game, not a lecture.

5. U98–9 · Discovery

   Scanning, passing ranges and decision-making under light pressure. The first age many academy scouts attend.

6. U109–10 · Discovery

   Technique at a higher speed. Passing with a picture, and the courage to receive on the half-turn.

7. U1110–11 · Development

   Position play without locking a child in too early. Technique at speed and the habit of playing forward.

8. U1211–12 · Development

   Scanning, both feet and 1v1s at game speed. Academy and county scouts are out every week at this age.

9. U1312–13 · Specialising

   Physical growth, game intelligence and a clearer role. Feedback gets more specific — and more honest.

10. U1413–14 · Specialising

    Bodies change fast. We watch the habits that survive the growth spurt, not one good month.

11. U1514–15 · Youth

    Tempo jumps. Role, both feet and the decisions in the middle third start to separate players.

12. U1615–16 · Youth

    Scholarship windows, school-club balance and the jump in tempo. Analysts look at habits, not just highlights.

13. U1716–17 · Pathway

    Scholarship year. The file has to be honest about level, role and what a club would actually see.

14. U1817–18 · Pathway

    Scholarship, college, non-league or a first pro deal. Exposure has to be targeted, not scattergun.

15. Open age18+ · Senior

    Non-league, semi-pro and late developers. We match players to clubs that actually watch this level.

News · UK football

Grassroots and the professional game.