Hey,
One of the least exciting things I built at a club was a calculator.
When the recruitment team liked a player from abroad, it worked out whether he'd get enough points for a work permit.
He needs 15, and they come from things like his share of league minutes, how strong his league is, whether his club played in Europe and whether he's a regular for his country. Get 15 and the club can sign him. Get 14 and the deal's off.
When a player fell short, I built the packs and dossiers that went to the exceptions panel to appeal for him.
That's only open to players on 10 to 14 points, it costs the club £5,000, and the panel isn't deciding whether he's good enough. It's looking at what stopped him getting to 15, and a long-term injury is one of the main reasons clubs give.
Work permit rules are boring and people switch off when they come up, I get it. But that work decided who we could actually sign, and the rules change every year.
My new YouTube video walks through all of this if you prefer to watch. Click here to watch or click the video image below.
When a club looks at a player from abroad, there are really two questions. Can we get him a GBE? And if not, can we get him an ESC?
The ESC is the route for younger players. From this summer he has to be born in 2003 or later, and the bar is much lower, as five games in a decent league can be enough. But every club only has a few spaces, up to four in the Premier League and the Championship and two in League One and League Two. If the answer to both questions is no, he can't come, however good he is.
The other thing people miss is that the points move. If his league drops a band over the summer, a player you checked in January might not qualify by the time the window opens. So recheck before anyone signs him, especially if it's a player you've been monitoring for a long time.
And if you're scouting outside England, this still matters to you. English clubs buy from almost every market, and your recommendation is no use to them if he can't get a permit. If you watch young players, knowing the ESC route is there changes who's worth your time too.
My advice would be to pick one player you've been watching and put him through the calculator. If he's short, work out what's stopping him. It's the same check a club would do before signing them.
A club can't just sign good players. It can only shop where the rules allow it.
Liam
PS
The Recruitment Room's courses cover scouting, recruitment analysis and building your portfolio, and you can send everything you make for feedback from me, the mentors and the members.
I'm already having calls for the January intake. Apply now, and if it's a good fit you'll be first in line when the doors open at the end of January.
→ Apply for January