Charlie Webster - Fancy a trial at a football club

Published: 08 Jul 2011 - 16:54:31

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Fancy a trial at a football club? Or are you a footballer out of a contract? Not to worry get yourself on twitter or YouTube and the job will be done. Football agents and scouts will soon be out of a job. So the new way of 'getting yourself out there' in football begins. We now all know that Owen Hargreaves is fighting fit according to YouTube. Despite the amount of mock videos that have subsequently gone up at least he's using his initiative. Good old Sven Goran Eriksson was impressed with the new media and is interested in holding talks with Hargreaves. The former England player must have read 7 secrets to getting your next job using social media. Down in number 6 spot, construct a video resume and upload it to YouTube. Many studies have noted that 80% of jobs are taken through networking so there you have it. Aside from all that for just a second a bit of credit must go out to the 30 year old, what a class player he was.

I kid you not though this is the way forward. Yeovil Town manager Terry Skiverton asked fans to get on twitter and tweet him potential players they think the boss should give a trial to. Step aside the football scout as it actually worked. Step in the online scouting Skiverton network. Kieran Agard has been signed to the League One side from Everton because a supporter tweeted that the striker should be given a trial. The majority of clubs in the English Football can't afford a superior scouting system so why not use new media?

Sir Alex Ferguson despite Manchester United's funds and scouts signed Bebe from seeing a video of him, he hadn't seen him play before signing him. Yes ok it was under Carlos Quieroz recommendation but still. Anybody who's got half a decent eye for football can see whether somebody can play or not via video.

That reminds me of Ali Dia, do you remember his name? I suppose this shows when it can go a bit wrong and I couldn't resist reminding you all of the time when Graeme Souness the then Southampton boss wished he had had checked out the striker better before he popped him on the bench to then bring him on the pitch. Dia basically blagged his way into the side and claimed falsely to be the cousin of Liberian footballer George Weah. You've got to give him credit for trying. His performance on the field after he came on to replace Matt Le Tissier was described as ' unbelievable'.. and... 'like Bambi on ice.' Look the video up on YouTube it's very funny.

Youtube even worked for an 18-month-old. A bit of a publicity stunt I'm sure, but the clip of Baerke van der Meij kicking balls into his toy chest caught the attention of relegation-threatened Dutch top flight club VVV-Venlo and the club to sign him to a 10-year professional contract. Although the contract is a "symbolic" one.

Good Luck Hargreaves and good for you for using social media in the honest and open way that so much more people should especially footballers. It's a refreshing change to see something 'normal' from a footballer or in this case a man looking for a job.