How AiSCOUT Is Revolutionising Football Scouting Through AI

• AiSCOUT, a UK-based AI application, lets aspiring footballers show their skills via virtual trials on a global level while being scouted by professional clubs.
• The app is free to players and has been used by top clubs like Chelsea and Burnley. It currently helps over 135 players from 125 countries secure trials or contracts.

Getting through in the high-stakes world of professional football feels like a lottery. However, thanks to a company based in London, that dream is a little nearer to actual reality for thousands of young players worldwide.

AiSCOUT, an app developed by ai.io, a tech company, is disrupting the world of talent scouting by turning your smartphone into a digital trial pitch. With a few drills, a camera, and an internet connection, players of all backgrounds can now showcase their talents for the top football clubs.

More than Just Nomenclature to Find Football Talent

Scouting in the beautiful game has always been somewhat of an exclusive analyst club; unless the kid was playing for an established academy or somebody vouched for the player, the chances of being developed were very slim. But AiSCOUT has come to throw a wrench in the works. The application allows players to record themselves performing different sets of drills – 75 physical and technical in total – and upload the footage to the app.

What happens next is the brilliance of the tech: through artificial intelligence, the app provides an assessment of every single movement for agile action, decision-making and physical qualities; these are turned into scores for scouts to approach with the players fitting the description needed by their respective teams, in particular concerning age, sex and playing position.

From Sunday League to Signing Day

Perhaps one of the most breathtaking stories coming from AiSCOUT relates to one Ben Greenwood. Back in 2019, the then-17-year-old had arguably never had a trial with a professional club. After uploading clips of his performances to the app, Greenwood soon caught the attention of Chelsea, which led to a trial, eventually signing with AFC Bournemouth in 2021.

Then there’s Jez Davies, who likewise used AiSCOUT to get trials at Chelsea and Burnley. Hard work pays off; he made his debut for Burnley’s first team against Benfica. Stories like these weave the case of an app that can change the game.

A Global Platform with Local Aspirations

The official launch of AiSCOUT happened in September 2023 and has been used across 125 countries. More than 135 players have either been offered trial opportunities or signed contracts with professional clubs or national teams through this platform. It is also scouting talent from the less conventional football nations, such as India, where Reliance Foundation Young Champs, for example, have scouted Uthkarsh Bora through AiSCOUT. Clubs in the Premier League like Chelsea and Burnley are using the app. Chelsea has gone all in, signing a five-year agreement as AiSCOUT’s Official Academy Research Partner.

Players Are Free, Clubs Are Powerful

AiScout may well be open to every player for free and welcomes all people regardless of background, but clubs pay a yearly licensing fee to use the program. The fee stipulates that it is dependent on club size and how many tools a club uses. For top clubs such as Chelsea, it runs into six figures in a year. However, smaller clubs will pay a fraction of that fee: often just a few thousand GBP.

Such a system allows even the lowest leagues to tap into a near-global pool of talent and gives aspiring players everywhere a fighting chance.

The Future of Football Scouting Is Here

Football becomes data-driven with each passing day, and AiSCOUT is a part of that evolution. Mobile technology and artificial intelligence mashed up have made it possible for scouting to be taken to a more inclusive and efficient next level. It doesn’t have to be about whom you know or where you play anymore; it’s about how well you perform, even if it’s on some public pitch in your local park.

“There’s so much talent that goes undiscovered simply because it’s in the wrong place at the wrong time,” mentions the AiSCOUT team. Well, this technology has finally received a chance for those buried gems to be seen.

For clubs, it means a smarter, speedier means of identifying talent. For players, it means a way out. Whether in London or Lagos, you only need a phone and a dream.