A Scouting Recruitment Analysis Infographic For LFC...
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Mads Jorgensen will be dead tomorrow. Death by KHL.
Julian Ward's CV looks interesting, having worked at the Portuguese Football Federation.
http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co...l___My_World_Cup_job_with_Ronaldo_and_co____/
(2009 article)
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/sport/foot...ugal-world-cup-bid-1.720515?referrerPath=news
(2010)
http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co...l___My_World_Cup_job_with_Ronaldo_and_co____/
(2009 article)
SPORTS scientist Julian Ward faces an exciting year ahead in 2010 when he heads off to the World Cup in South Africa with Portugal's star-studded national squad.
For Julian, aged 28, from Greenodd near Ulverston, meeting up with household names such as Ronaldo, Deco and Carvalho, is part of his regular working routine during an international campaign.
But he's not star-struck: "They are great professionals, but many of these players started out in lower leagues like everyone else and they got their break to move to top clubs such as Porto, Real Madrid and Chelsea.
“They know what it is like to work abroad, they know how to make you feel welcome and feel part of the team.
Julian landed his dream job as part of a four-strong scouting team in July last year when Portugal manager Carlos Quieroz, the former Manchester United coach, signed him up last year after his appointment.
"It can be a small world in football, "explains Julian.
"Someone I worked with for the England FA was appointed to a job at Manchester United and Mr Quieroz got to know about me when he was looking for a person familiar with the software and the technical programmes they used."
It's a long way to his job based in Lisbon from playing for Coniston Juniors as a teenager in the Kent Valley League.
And at one time Julian had hoped to make it as a professional footballer in his own right.
He played as a midfielder with Morecambe and Southport in the North-West and other clubs, which helped subsidise him as a student... until work got in the way.
"I miss playing football and still get that feeling when seeing the Portugal guys even training, but I am lucky to be able to work in the sport at this level."
Julian graduated with a Sports Science degree from John Moores University in Liverpool, where there was a strong connection with Premier League clubs developing computer-based tools used to analyse match data and performance.
Many of the students spent time at clubs such as Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City as part of a mutually beneficial relationship and from Julian went to work with the England FA youth set-up.
He also worked with Prozone for a year as their match analyst for Preston North End before he moved to Belfast - where he still lives - to study for a Phd at the University of Ulster, while also continuing to play for Larne and Lisburn Distillery in the Irish Premier League.
Then he got the break to join Portugal and it's the World Cup in South Africa next stop.
"I went to the World Cup in Germany with my brother Dominic but we camped out over there and it will be a very different to see it from the inside.
"Being part of a professional set-up, you are learning so much every day and for me it's about being a sponge and soaking up as much knowledge and experience as possible.
"Mr Queiroz is a very open-minded manager and you are always encourage to try to be creative and go above and beyond what is expected. Your input is always respected and treated seriously.
He explained: “I work with a team of four scouts and we use a performance analysis took to observe future opponents as a team and individually and we also feedback on our own team’s performance at half-time, full time and post-game.”
Julian is based with his team with the squad relaying the scouts’ information to the squad - and even put snippets about the opponents on the team’s iPod and iPhones.
"When the manager came in he had just a friendly and we were straight into World Cup qualifying and we had a depleted squad.
“With the likes of Christiano (Ronaldo) and Ricardo Carvalho out injured for the first few qualifiers, it's was difficult, but with some of the well-known faces back it's no coincidence that we have become more consistent to earn a play-off place.
“The 1-0 play-off wins home and away against Bosnia made it six wins out of seven which is the kind of form we want to be in going to South African in the summer.
“We are capable of improving all the time, and with Portugal being such a football-mad nation expectations are high. Qualifying was our first job and now our players and coaching team are excited about competing against the World's top teams at next summer's finals”
Julian will return to Lisbon from Belfast before the World Cup finals draw on December 4 where the group-stage opponents will be decided, and then spend Christmas back home in Greenodd with parents’ Terry and Susan.
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/sport/foot...ugal-world-cup-bid-1.720515?referrerPath=news
(2010)
A SOUTH Cumbrian football mastermind is plotting the World Cup downfall of Brazil and the Ivory Coast for European giants Portugal.
Julian Ward works as a scout for Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz and will be telling the likes of Ronaldo, Nani and Ricardo Carvalho how to beat their big-name opponents.
Brought up in Greenodd and now living in Lisbon, Ward will be right at the heart of matters when Portugal open their campaign against the Ivory Coast in Port Elizabeth today (3pm kick-off).
“Ever since the draw for the finals took place, myself and our chief scout, José Alberto Costa, have been observing and analysing Brazil, the Ivory Coast and North Korea,” said the 29-year-old former Barrow Celtic player and St Bernard’s School pupil.
“With us drawing nations from Africa, South America and Asia, we have had the task of reviewing distinct styles of play, systems, individual technical qualities.
“Now we are at the finals, I stay and work with the team to provide in-game and post-game analysis of our own matches and feedback on the opposition. After the last seven months, the players and staff are well versed on the qualities of Ivory Coast.”
As well as being tasked with helping to plot the downfall of five-time champions Brazil, African top dogs, the Ivory Coast, and North Korea, Ward will also help collate reports on potential future opponents as the competition goes on.
Should both England and Portugal reach the semi-finals, there is the chance he will be spying on his home country, as this is the earliest stage the two sides could meet.
Until then, Ward’s two younger brothers, Dominic and Simon – who played alongside him for Barrow Celtic and Coniston – are jetting out to South Africa as fellow Portuguese fans later this week. They will be there to see Portugal play North Korea in Cape Town on Monday and their final group match against Brazil in Durban on June 25.
Ward said: “I am really excited they are going to make it out here. They will be the English branch of the Portuguese fan club for the tournament.
“They have adapted their names from Dominic and Simon to Domingues and Simão on their Portugal shirts as a token of Portuguese support, which I found quite amusing!”
As well as his imported Portugal fans, Ward is confident the team will be backed by strong support all-round, evidenced from the moment they arrived in Johannesburg.
“Once we were through passport control, we snaked our way past crowds of second and third-generation Portuguese fans who now live in South Africa,” he added.
“Bearing in mind Portugal only has a population of around 10 million, I am sure we will be one of the best supported European nations over here.”
Ward was appointed part of the Portuguese national set-up by Queiroz in 2008, a month before the start of the qualification campaign for South Africa. He has since scouted opponents and Portugal players themselves for the former Manchester United assistant boss.
“Having the opportunity to work for the Portuguese national team is as big a challenge as it is an honour,” said Ward, who played semi-professional football in Ireland before being given the job with Portugal.
“To learn and work alongside these guys each day is a privilege, and gives me the incentive to be the best I can be in my role.”
While he is currently rubbing shoulders with the best players and coaches in the world, Ward had a word for his former junior coaches, Dennis Boyd and the late Mally Jackson.
“I want to thank them for all their enthusiasm and encouragement, but most of all for making football fun for young lads. Even being with a national team at the World Cup, I still have great memories of junior cup finals at Holker Street.”
He was no Andri Sigporsson
Meanwhile, Steven Aptroot is currently based in Holland. Besides Juventus, also scouted for Feyenoord. Seems to be more of a youth talent spotter. Was present at tournaments like the 2011 South American U-20 Championship held in Peru during his Juventus stint. Casemiro, then of the Sao Paulo (just signed for Real Madrid after spell with RM Castilla) was one of the players he recommended.
Also attended a youth tournament in Netherlands mid last month.
http://www.deweekkrant.nl/artikel/2013/mei/15/liverpool_zoekt_talenten_bij_dso
In this article in 2010 when his departure was announced, he was praised by Feyenoord's General Manager Eric Gudde as an "expert" of the South American market (citing the fact though that it was beyond their financial means to exploit the scouting system/market).
http://www.elfvoetbal.nl/nieuws/105383_feyenoord-houdt-grondig-huis-in-scoutingsapparaat
Colin Cardines (r), back in 2006
http://www.oaklands.ac.uk/specialis...mies/EDSV-football-academy/football-news.aspx
http://www.liverpoolfootballacademy.com/
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