Firstly you’re looking for a good athlete. But for me it was never anything specific. I’d just watch for a while no real focus on anything, take down a few numbers when a lad does something different. Then focus on them a bit later in the game.
As far as what makes someone different, could be anything, how they move with or without the ball, seeing a pass even if they don’t execute it. Attitude and desire also. Contrary to popular opinion it’s not about their size but you do need to consider if they’ll cope with the physicality of the academy environment.
Lots of scouts including at Coventry have reports to complete that break down different attributes of a player, I never did.
As always it’s an opinion, I stood at a tournament at Sphinx telling the academy manager that we should bring Will Bapaga in only to be overruled, what did I know
Thankfully someone else did invite him in a year or so later.