For the players
nobody’s found yet.
15 to 21. Not in an academy. Sure you have what it takes to get to the next level.
Why it exists
I was the best player in my street games and in every tournament we played. Everyone told me I should be in an academy, but my family couldn’t pay for one. At 15 I went to a trial at the Barcelona academy in Arizona. I went as a striker, they played me at center back, and I didn’t make it. They told me I was missing the basics.
From 15 to 21 I trained in the gym, did football drills, and spent hours with a wall that became my best friend. I studied top players and broke down their games, and after every game I played I wrote a report on myself. I kept all of it in the notes app on my phone: almost 300 notes.
Later I made a UPSL team after trials. Then I got injured twice in the groin, I lost my confidence, and I left the team to recover. I didn’t make it as a pro. But I know exactly why, and I know exactly what worked.
Unscouted is the part that worked.
What I believe
Nobody is coming to coach you
Not in an academy? Be your own coach, analyst and scout.
The basics decide everything
Talent gets you noticed. The basics get you kept.
Watching is training
If you watch the right way: pause, see the options, ask why.
Most of it isn’t technique
Confidence and playing free matter as much as your first touch.