We are thrilled to welcome Stuart Benthom to the Portobello Institute team, where he will be bringing his extensive experience in football scouting and recruitment to the MSc Sports Performance Analysis programme. Recently, Stuart hosted a webinar for Portobello Institute on Pathways to Football Scouting, giving students an inside look at this exciting career field.
In our sit-down with Stuart, he shared insights into his background, career journey, and passion for both sport psychology and talent identification.
From Sport Psychology to Scouting
Stuart’s educational background is in sports psychology, an area that he believes is crucial to success in professional sport. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Sport Psychology and an MSc in Sport & Exercise Psychology, both from UCLAN. "I have always had an interest in psychology and hold a firm belief that it is vitally important in sport," Stuart explained.
His decision to pursue a Master’s degree was driven by his desire to dive deeper into the discipline. "I wanted to study further into the deeper aspects of the discipline and gain further understanding of the subject. Ultimately, the MSc provided me with a greater understanding of all aspects of the subject and afforded me more time to appraise the literature with a critical eye."
Studying at MSc level was a formative experience for Stuart, providing him not only with knowledge but also with valuable skills he now uses in his professional life. "I developed advanced skills to better understand and communicate knowledge—skills that are applicable and transferable in the workplace. Managing workload and time are essential at MSc level and this is a skill that is essential in a fast-paced work environment."
A Career in Football Scouting
Most recently, Stuart has worked as a Chief Scout in English football at Championship clubs, overseeing player recruitment. But his journey into football began modestly, as an intern working as an assistant to a Performance Analyst.
"Initially, I started as an intern working as an assistant to the Performance Analyst. Then I moved to a full-time role as a Recruitment Analyst and progressed on to becoming a Chief Scout," he shared. His career progression shows the value of hard work and a keen understanding of both the game and people.
Stuart credits his education for helping him advance his career. "Firstly, the work ethic required to complete an MSc is good preparation for working in professional sport. Managing multiple deadlines and time is an essential skill. The inquisitive nature of study also fuelled my desire to problem solve. The relationships I made during my studies afforded me the chance to make the initial move into football."
Inside the Life of a Chief Scout
A typical day for Stuart involves analysing players and making critical decisions about their potential. "Normally, it starts early in the morning with watching a game on my laptop. I write scouting reports based on players I’ve watched. I find it very advantageous to complete the first game of the day prior to the phone ringing and emails landing."
After that, his day involves catching up on reports from other scouts, managing data, and planning further viewings of players. In the evening, he’s often attending live games to scout players in person. "Managing information and making decisions on the suitability of players are key parts of my job. Ultimately, judging a player’s current level, potential level, and fit is the key skill."
Stuart finds the most rewarding aspect of his job in seeing players he has scouted develop into key team members. "I enjoy the process of scouting players above all other aspects of the role. There is enormous reward when you recruit a player that not only provides value to the team but also grows and develops into a better player."
A New Chapter at Portobello Institute
Stuart is just getting started in his new role as a tutor at Portobello Institute, and he’s excited about the opportunity. "At present, I have been going through the induction process. Everyone I have met has been very welcoming and I’m enthused to get started."
His decision to move into tutoring was driven by his passion for helping the next generation of professionals. "I enjoy developing the next generation of professionals and, in particular, the journey of growth. I would like to apply this in a more formal educational setting."
Stuart is particularly looking forward to sharing his applied experience in an academic context. "Being able to provide insights from an applied setting in the academic process is the best thing about being a tutor. Hopefully, I can help prepare students for the workplace as well as assisting with technical skills."
Stuart Benthom’s blend of practical football scouting experience and academic expertise makes him a valuable addition to the MSc Sports Performance Analysis programme. We are excited to see the impact he will have on our students as they learn from someone with such deep knowledge and real-world success in the field.
- MSc Sports Performance Analysis
- Watch On-Demand: Pathways To Football Scouting
