Scouting the Hudl Wyscout International Cup

"Most sports have an ongoing challenge of how do they identify and promote youth talent and ultimately give them the shot to be successful." - Edward Sulley, Hudl Director of Customer Solutions

The most important resource for aspiring athletes in any sport is opportunity.

My conversation with Edward Sulley, Hudl Director of Customer Solutions, led to two real-world examples of how debilitating a lack of opportunity can be. In Colombia, the top division (Liga DIMAYOR) had been unavailable on Hudl Wyscout in 2025. Ed referenced a piece written by Jonathan Rest in Sports Business which highlighted the decline in the number of players sold as a direct result of the league's absence from the platform. Without the opportunity to be seen, players are not signed; they become invisible. Colombia has since returned to the Hudl Wyscout platform.

The same issue arose during Ed's time at Bolton Wanderers, in which he journeyed from a part-time Academy Coach to Head of Performance Analysis. Under Sporting Director Chris Markham, now at Huddersfield Town, Bolton made the decision to opt for a B-team system rather than taking part in the EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan) academy system; Brentford made a similar decision in 2016.

Despite achieving the principal goal of player development through the increase in competitive fixtures - Ed spoke about how B-teams would piggy-back off Premier League clubs in Europe, proposing and organising friendlies against visiting clubs from the continent - the unintended consequence was the cloak of invisibility cast over the squad. At the time, no one was recording or tracking these matches. This can be crippling for clubs that rely on the profitability of their academy graduates to stay afloat. Increased visibility leads to more recruitment opportunities and a more robust ecosystem in which purchasing clubs can improve their own level while selling clubs can improve their finances. Without opportunity, this ecosystem falls apart.

That's why, born out of the mission to connect undiscovered talent with global opportunities, Hudl Wyscout, with partners, launched two new youth football competitions in February 2026.

"Especially in football, most teams live or die by how they buy and sell players… It makes up such a huge proportion of their budgets, their planning, their risk." - Edward Sulley, Hudl Director of Customer Solutions

First, in Córdoba, Argentina, the Torneo Internacional Jóvenes Promesas U-17 Hudl Wyscout took place, pitting two club teams against South American international sides. Incredibly, Brazilian club Atlético Paranaense remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, defeating the Chilean National Team in the final on penalties to be crowned champions.

A week later, in Salou, Spain, the Hudl Wyscout International Cup U16 was played out. The final saw FC Groningen defeat Girona FC in a standout fixture. Both teams looked to dominate possession, created lots of scoring opportunities and platformed the high-level technical talent of the young players on both sides.

As Hudl's Youth Football Analyst Kerry Morrow put it, these cities were selected based on Hudl Wyscout's "commitment to providing an elite-level stage for youth development". Between matches, players were provided with in-game stats to evaluate their performances, find evidence of progression and identify areas to improve, as well as appreciate how their coaches may derive insight from Hudl products in order to alter Individual Development Plans.

These tournaments provided multiple opportunities to players: the opportunity for recognition, the opportunity to win and the opportunity to learn. But it also provides clubs - and organisations like SCOUTED, of course - the opportunity to discover. We were not able to make the trip to Spain. Had the Hudl Focus Flex cameras not automatically captured and uploaded every minute of action to Hudl Wyscout, we would have had to wait for another opportunity to watch these players. From a club perspective, that might already be too late.

So, with access to this seamlessly integrated environment of video and data, we have selected a line-up of the most fascinating players at the Hudl Wyscout International Cup. The tournament data lives directly within a club’s existing scouting infrastructure. For us, this ensured a seamless transition from discovery to analysis without the friction of switching between fragmented tools.

"At Hudl, we want to give every athlete the shot they deserve regardless of whether a player is representing their club or national team. Youth players develop at varying speeds and through the implementation of video and data, Hudl Wyscout is not only supporting the player development process, but it’s also effectively removing geographical barriers from a recruitment perspective to help players further their careers – whether that’s a player further progressing their career through a transfer, or rebuilding their career after being released." - Kerry Morrow, Hudl Youth Football Analyst

Importantly, it’s worth defining what 'fascinating' means in this context. The Manchester United squad was captained by Jacey Carrick, son of Michael, while Kai Rooney, son of Wayne, donned the number ten shirt. For nostalgia alone, that's fascinating. Meanwhile, FC Groningen’s Mauro Koster was named Player of the Tournament; any club monitoring a tournament would be foolish not to take a look at the so-called best player.

From a SCOUTED viewpoint, fascinating has come to mean a player with an idiosyncratic profile, an immediately obvious superpower, or a meta-sympathetic skill set and style of play. As we go through each position, I will provide more insight from both Ed and Kerry on how ‘fascinating’ may be defined from a club perspective. Let's dive into the squad.

Goalkeepers

I asked Ed if his industry experience had revealed any secrets or highlighted any patterns when it comes to data scouting. Unsurprisingly, especially when scouting a tournament, directly influencing the match is the place to start. For goalkeepers, that means preventing goals.

Clean sheets are useful, but they are almost a proxy metric for team strength and game model. Just because a goalkeeper has kept the most clean sheets does not mean he is immediately the most fascinating goalkeeper. That being said, FC Groningen’s Golden Glove winning ‘keeper Daan Erdman did save a penalty in the final, so deserved the plaudits and attention that came his way.

But those who watched Edwin van der Sar’s recent appearance on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football will now know that shot-stopping is not necessarily the most important metric for goalkeepers, particularly in the modern game. Van der Sar himself looked particularly enthused when Sky Sports displayed a metric that celebrated and evaluated the ability to sweep.

And when pouring over the Hudl Wyscout tournament reports, a goalkeeper appeared when I least expected it: Jake Ford topped the Final Day chart for Progressive Passes. He played just one game on that day, so further scouting is needed to validate whether his output was a result of that particular game environment - but the fact he was the only goalkeeper across both Days to top this list is fascinating nevertheless.

Centre-backs

Another benefit of competitive youth tournaments is the opportunity to compete. Ed, previously part of the City Football Group, discussed how Jason Wilcox’s arrival led to an appraisal of their youth teams all the way down to Under-9 level. It turned out that City’s teams were too good to generate useful insights. Ironically, no one wins when teams are winning 25-2 and 16-4.

Competition - winning and losing - is integral to player development. Without the opportunity to experience both, it's unlikely a player will succeed as a professional. Ed highlighted that players who were not playing senior minutes from the age of 18 to 21 had a very low chance of making it. These youth football tournaments act as a bridge between youth and senior football because they heighten the level of competition. There is jeopardy in the result. And for the U16s entering a pivotal stage of their development - their first professional contract is in reach - these tournaments may provide the last opportunity to gain competitive experience. More cynically, heightened competition also provides centre-backs at specific academies an opportunity to defend.

The inability to do so plagued England's youth teams last summer. The most successful group, Lee Carsley's Under-21s, was captained by a master of the art of heading the ball clear: Charlie Cresswell. Unfortunately, in elite academy sides, there is no guarantee that developing centre-backs are given the opportunity to develop that skill.

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So, when looking for fascinating centre-backs, we should focus on discovering one that excels on the ball and one that loves defending. Which one piques your interest will depend on your preferred game model or whether you are looking for superpowers that are universally appreciated.

"When we were in that back end of my years at City, we had the emerging talent group, which was often a group of players that were required to then be accelerated through either loan pathways to the loan network or through the clubs that had been bought in.

"We saw them as really high talent. We want to give them a chance to be successful. And we would debate whether we should be purchasing plays for our game model, because that's what we believe good is… one centre back that can play out from the back and is comfortable on the ball. Or does the market actually want a centre-back who's absolutely brilliant at just heading it and getting it cleared? Is that actually what the market wants? So we'd have debates all the time about the types of players that we would go for." - Edward Sulley, Hudl Director of Customer Solutions

The first pick is Birmingham City's Francisco Artus-Thomazi. The 2011-born centre-back stood out on the Day One Report, taking top spot for both Passes to Final Third and Progressive Passes. In particular against Derby County, he attempted 50% of Birmingham City's Progressive Passes and 46.1% of their Passes to Final Third, according to Hudl WyScout data. This enormous amount of responsibility is a signal in itself. But the eagerness to play forward through the middle apparent when rattling through clips of these passes added extra weight to those promising numbers.

FC Grongingen's Nick Uiterwijk-Winkel, meanwhile, not only featured in all six matches across the weekend but consistently led his teammates for defensive metrics. As per Hudl Wyscout data, he made five Interceptions against Olympiacos and then five again in the final against Girona, recording 19 in total across both days. He also logged 12 Clearances, won 11 out of the 12 Defensive Duels contested and, perhaps best of all, Wyscout have not detected a single foul he committed. Uiterwijk-Winkel is a key reason why Groningen conceded just once in six games.

Full-backs

For Kerry, this will be the most exciting section.

"Attacking players of course get most of the plaudits, but in the modern game, the full back position has progressed a lot. It is they who are starting to have a huge influence on games—whether that is overlapping/underlapping runs, executing key passes and/or crosses in the final third, or moving into midfield whilst in possession in an attempt to create an overload and positively impact attacking possessions. Of course, full backs also need to defend, so for me, the full back position is the one that is most fascinating, as full backs now need to incorporate all facets of the game and do them well to reach the top of the game." - Kerry Morrow, Hudl Youth Football Analyst

The full-back position is the most fascinating because it is the most versatile. It can house and accommodate any profile. In his explanation, Kerry has inadvertently described three SCOUTED Archetypes: the Flyer, the wide, lapping high-intensity runner; the Pathfinder, the deep-lying progressive and penetrative passer; and the Developer, the roaming off-ball runner. Which one you use depends on your game model and profiles available in other positions. Let's see which popped up in Spain.

A player that embodies the necessary malleability of the modern full-back is Manchester United's Jaume Camacho Sidos. He was named as the right-back in all four of his appearances but his heat maps reflect the answer he once gave to Sir Alex Ferguson when asked what position he played: "I play lots. I play any full-back - right-back or left-back - and then anywhere in centre-mid."

The accent does not quite match the name, but Camacho Sidos' standout attributes epitomise his Spanish, and more specifically, Barcelona roots. As a team, United profiled as one of the most secure in possession on Day One. According to the Hudl Wyscout report, United attempted the most Passes to Final Third and most Progressive Passes in Group A, which included eventual finalists Girona and Groningen. Camacho Sidos, asked to invert from right-back, was a chief reason. He averaged the most Passes to Final Third in the group and only teammate Harley James averaged more Progressive Passes. This ability to platform possession for his side was augmented by a consistent recovering of the ball; no player in Group A on Day One averaged more Recoveries.

With United's right-back drawing attention for his ability on the ball, it only seems fair to highlight a full-back that put in an incredible defensive shift at the Hudl Wyscout International Cup. Olympiacos' Ioannidis Stylianos proved to be a worthy adversary for any opponent no matter where he was on the pitch. Deployed at left-back for his one and only match on Day One, Stylianos then went to his natural right side to face Groningen and Derby County on Day Two. Across all three matches, he won 11 out of his 14 Defensive Duels, per Wyscout data.

Despite both opposition teams favouring their left flank on the final day, Stylianos stood up to the challenge. His solitary Touch in the Opposition Area across the three days, however, means that we need to see more games before judging what he might bring to the team in possession.

Midfielders

With an increasing number of midfielders wearing full-back pyjamas, it makes sense the two positions contain the most overlap in profiles. So, in addition to the Platformer profile Camacho Sidos and Stylianos' ability to lock down opponents, it made sense to include some diverging styles.

If we have a passer, we need a carrier. In Abdellah El Boukhary, Girona had one of the most exciting dribblers at the tournament. Hudl Wyscout data shows he completed 12 out of 15 dribbles across his six appearances, using his ability to manipulate the ball in tight central areas to generate shooting opportunities for himself - he attempted more shots (7) than he laid on for other teammates (4). Although, his expertly self-generated effort did lead to a goal for teammate Xavi Palacios.

We have a passer and a carrier; we still need a mover. In Spain, Derby County's Remi Harvey displayed a knack for receiving the ball in dangerous areas and arriving late to fire shots at goal. Unlike El Boukhary, who used his dribbling to create space for shots, Harvey's movement and timing of runs opened his shooting opportunities.

Brentford owner Matthew Benham recently discussed how his models place greater emphasis on players - in this case he was specifically talking about strikers - getting into goalscoring positions than the ability to convert chances. Harvey's eight shots in Salou generated 1.95 Expected Goals, averaging 0.24 xG per shot. He hit the target three times and scored just one goal, but his ability to get into those positions to score consistently would see him rank well in models like Benham's.

Wingers

Another tidbit from Ed’s time at Manchester City is that Guardiola was insistent on 1v1 excellence as a non-negotiable quality for an incoming player in any position. Whether the ability to beat an opponent with the ball or to not be beaten in the mirror of that scenario, it was a key trait that was evaluated early. So, we can assume that discovering the player that was the most effective in 1v1 situations would be fascinating to Pep at the very least.

Wycombe Wanderers' Israel Otisi jumped out of the Hudl Wyscout reports. On Day One, in the competitive Group A, he averaged the most Dribbles, ahead of El Boukhary, contested the most Offensive Duels, ranked second for Progressive Runs, behind El Boukhary, and also ranked fourth for Fouls Suffered. He was deployed in various positions from the left-side of a midfield pivot all the way up to centre-forward in the final game.

When deployed high and wide on the left, he looked to stretch the game and isolate full-backs, showing a willingness to attack both sides. If anything, he had more joy when driving on the outside of the full-back rather than engineering space to move onto his preferred right foot. His game-winning goal against IDA Valencia was very impressive.

If the clip was not enough to give you a sense of his style, then this stat from the Wyscout database captures it: Otisi completed more Dribbles (14) than Passes (12) during the tournament.

With blocks getting lower and more compact, playmaking has moved wider. In contrast to our 1v1 specialist, let's discover a player that creates lots of chances from a wide starting position.

The data points towards Unai Jiménez as the tournament's chief creator. Jiménez's left foot was Girona's primary means of generating shots, both in open play and from set-pieces. On both Day One and Day Two, he topped the Hudl Wyscout charts for Key Passes and Deep Completions. In total, he assisted 13 shots compared to just four attempts, indicative of a traditional playmaker. It has become increasingly difficult to play with a traditional number ten in an attacking midfield role so it makes sense that Jiménez accumulated minutes from deeper but also in a wide position at times, so he can slot in on the right in this squad.

Forwards

When I pressed Ed to share the universal qualities that every single club, scout and fan would find fascinating, he simply responded "pace, power, ability to score goals, you know, the real simple things that always catches the eye." Sometimes, it is that easy.

The ever-increasing average height of Premier League centre-forwards is testament to the arms race for all-conquering, hulking strikers that combine the frame of a traditional target forward with the running power of an Olympic athlete: the Power Forward.

Orlando Holder may well fit that mould. The Groningen striker attempted the most Shots (8) on Day Two, ahead of Xavi Palacios with whom he had to share the inaugural Golden Boot. In fact, Hudl Wyscout data shows they attempted 10 Shots between them in the final. Palacios rattled off six, hitting the target three times, while Holder maintained 100% accuracy with his four efforts which included the winning goal.

The Power Forward tendencies Holder displayed included thundering, well-crafted runs in behind, powerful ball-striking with both feet and the ability to get those shots off quickly. His catalogue from the final displays all of those skills; we can perhaps forgive the overly-ambitious effort at the end - it was an intense couple of days.

The other centre-forward I want to highlight is Max Nessling. Derby County's number nine differed in style to Holder as he was often asked to receive with his back to goal rather than encouraged to attack the space in behind. After securing the ball, he often looked to release teammates rather than fire off his own efforts. Across his five appearances, he failed to register a shot in three of them; that's where the understanding of his role is important.

His technique belied his taller, lankier frame and he finished the Hudl Wyscout International Cup with three Assists - more than any other player - from seven Shot Assists. Two of them came against NAC Breda. The first shows him pull wide and fire a cross into the box while the second displays his tidy footwork after dropping deep, turning and playing the ball into space for a wide player to latch onto.

"Hudl Wyscout provides the largest coverage of football video and data globally – both at professional and youth level, and therefore, we’re continuing to help bridge the gap between youth and professional football for teams and players all over the world." - Kerry Morrow, Hudl Youth Football Analyst

There we have it. 11 fascinating players that had the opportunity to showcase their talent - and we had the opportunity to find them - thanks to the inaugural Hudl Wyscout International Cup. As my colleague Llew Davies recently put it:

The best thing about football is the breadth and depth of talent. There is always another player ready to come through; there will always be alternatives and newcomers to that one player which everyone is fixated on. Talent is everywhere, at every level.

By supporting more youth tournaments, Hudl Wyscout is demonstrating a commitment to showcasing that talent. At SCOUTED, we remain committed to discovering it.

SCOUTED x HUDL WYSCOUT

This article was produced under a commercial collaboration with Hudl Wyscout to promote the launch of the Hudl Wyscout International Cup.

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