About

Talent, Recruitment & Pathway Advisory

We advise on the design and alignment of talent, recruitment, and pathway systems across professional and high-performance football environments.

This work focuses on how talent decisions are structured, aligned, and governed - not on day-to-day scouting or operational execution.

Scott Hero
Scott miller | strategic advisor
THE CONTEXT

Most football organisations invest heavily in talent identification and development.

Performance constraints typically emerge not from a lack of scouting effort, but from:

  • Misalignment between football identity and recruitment decisions
  • Disconnected youth and senior environments
  • Short-term needs overriding long-term squad planning

When decision architecture is unclear, talent systems drift - even with good people in place.

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WHEN THIS WORK IS NEEDED

COMMON ENGAGEMENT CONTEXTS
  • Recruitment decisions inconsistent with stated football identity
  • Academy output misaligned with first-team requirements
  • Tension between short-term performance needs and long-term development
  • Unclear succession and squad planning logic

These issues often surface during periods of transition, rapid growth, budget pressure, or when clubs sense they are “working hard in the market” without building sustainable advantage.

WHAT THIS ADVISORY FOCUSES ON

Recruitment Strategy & Decision Frameworks

Designing clear principles and decision frameworks that guide recruitment choices under pressure.

Talent Identification Criteria

Defining identification criteria that are explicitly aligned to football identity, playing model, and long-term intent.

Academy & Pathway Coherence

Ensuring development pathways are intentional, connected, and oriented toward senior football requirements.

Youth–Senior Integration

Improving alignment between youth and senior environments so progression is planned rather than reactive.

Squad & Succession Planning

Supporting long-term squad composition, role planning, and succession logic beyond individual transfer windows.

TYPICAL FOCUS AREAS

Strategic Reset & Direction

Helping leaders assess whether the current football strategy remains fit for purpose - and what must change to restore alignment.

Head Coach Decisions

Supporting appointment, transition, or review processes with disciplined judgement rather than reactive pressure.

Football Structure & Operating Model

Examining how football operations are structured - and whether that structure supports clear authority and effective execution.

Executive–Technical Role Clarity

Reducing tension and confusion by clarifying where governance ends and football autonomy begins.

Decision Accountability

Ensuring that major football decisions are owned, documented, and learnable - not diffused or politicised.

HOW WE WORK

This is advisory, not execution.

Engagements typically involve:

  • Review of existing recruitment and pathway structures
  • Diagnosis of decision points, authority, and accountability
  • Clarification of principles that guide talent decisions
  • Alignment between technical, executive, and development leadership

We do not scout players. We design the conditions under which better talent decisions are made.

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WHAT THIS IS
  • Strategic
  • System-level
  • Identity-led
  • Focused on decision quality
what this is not
  • Scouting execution
  • Player evaluation services
  • Recruitment administration
  • Academy management
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THE OUTCOME
  • More consistent recruitment decisions
  • Stronger alignment between identity and talent choices
  • Clearer development pathways
  • Reduced short-termism in squad planning

Talent systems that reinforce strategy - rather than undermine it.

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Start a Conversation

Identity Pro works with a small number of organisations at any time.

If you are a board member, executive, or senior football leader facing complex decisions around performance, leadership, or direction, we offer a confidential advisory conversation to determine whether our involvement is appropriate.

Book a Discovery Call