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Everyone on social media is an expert.<\/b><\/p>\n
Or so they would have you believe. But every so often, that might just be the case.<\/p>\n
Serie A side Como 1907 certainly seem to think so, having recently hired 20-year-old Felix Johnston as a first-team scout.<\/p>\n
It is a remarkable step for Johnston, who until recently was a Chelsea content creator on X, highlighting and providing analysis on the brightest stars at the club’s academy.<\/p>\n
Now he is helping find players to improve a side managed by former Chelsea, Arsenal and Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas in Italy’s top flight.<\/p>\n
“It’s been a long journey,” Johnston told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.<\/p>\n
“It started with my friend messaging my during lockdown saying ‘you need to get on Twitter, that’s where everyone is talking about football’.<\/p>\n
“I took it kind of seriously, built up a following and where it really started was when I discovered the Chelsea academy.<\/p>\n
“I fell in love with watching the academy games, seeing the young players come through. It was what I was known for, my niche on Twitter.”<\/p>\n
From there he began to do his own scouting of players, and Chelsea’s youth-focused transfer strategy gave him plenty to get stuck into.<\/p>\n
“Suddenly their model was all about signing young players so I was staying up until 2am watching Kendry Paez at the Under-17 World Cup, Estevao, then finding talents of my own,” Johnston added.<\/p>\n
“I got a bit of recognition, including from some people in the game, and that made scouting a reality to me. Prior to that, it was just truly a passion.”<\/p>\n
It is in the past six months that things have really moved on for Johnston.<\/p>\n
His first step into professional football came in April when he was hired by Danish team Vejle as a scouting consultant before, at the end of July, Como got in touch.<\/p>\n
“The director of recruitment [at Como] reached out to me on Twitter saying he liked what I was tweeting and that he would like to do an internship and find some modern, younger scouts to bring into the club,” Johnston said.<\/p>\n
“I was obviously very happy to go along with that and nine weeks later, I got the job.”<\/p>\n
So having got the dream job, what is Johnston – who is combining the role with his university studies in Milan – being tasked with at Como?<\/p>\n
“The director of recruitment who hired me was the head of data at his previous club, AZ Alkmaar, and is a very data-focused guy,” he said.<\/p>\n
“My role, essentially, is that I get passed down data players, watch them on the eye and do a report.<\/p>\n
“I look at the players they ask me to look at. But it’s an all-encompassing role, not restricted by any region or position.”<\/p>\n
Five full games is usually considered enough for Johnston to compile an initial report – although that can vary.<\/p>\n
“If they play for a low possession side and they’ve not really touched the ball, then I’ll need to watch more just for more evidence,” he explained.<\/p>\n
His is not the traditional way into the game, but Johnston says Como are a “very forward-thinking club” who “want to get the new talent on the scene”.<\/p>\n
With the club seventh in just their second year back in Serie A, it is an approach that seems to be working.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Johnston’s big tip for the future is 16-year-old Deinner Ordonez.<\/p>\n
“[Ordonez] is a centre-back at Independiente del Valle in Ecuador – the academy that Moises Caicedo came through. They’ve had a lot of talents and he’s very talented.”<\/p>\n
Take note of that because, from now on, Johnston’s analysis and opinion will be sent to Fabregas rather than the social media masses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n