– This is the first Talent Identification seminar ever held in Kazakhstan. How is the work progressing, and what kind of insights have our participants and attendees gained so far?
– Yes, that’s correct — this is the first seminar of its kind in Kazakhstan, and it has been a truly engaging experience. We invited leading experts from across the football sector: the head coach of the U-17 national team, the head coach of the KFF Academy, as well as highly experienced experts such as Bulat Yesmagambetov, Ivan Azovskiy, Vladimir Nikitenko and some others.
We have now moved into the core Talent ID training — the process of identifying young footballers up to the age of 16. Everything is running according to plan, and the three-day programme is being delivered successfully.
The training consists of two parts: theory and practice. For the practical segment, we specifically organised the “Talent ID Cup”, a regional tournament for the Northern Region. Next year, we plan to hold similar tournaments in other regions as well. At the moment, we are observing players born in 2013 and assessing them for inclusion in a unified national database. Later, they will be invited to regional centres for systematic development.
This work fully aligns with the football development strategy approved by the KFF and the Technical Department. Over these three days, we are providing future scouts with all the essential knowledge — both theoretical and practical. We also invited Steve Morrow, a British expert whose experience with young players, at Arsenal’s Academy and within the English FA, is truly exceptional.
– How valuable is his experience for our participants? What has he shared during these three days that stands out the most?
– Since Talent ID and scouting are relatively new directions for us, everything Steve shares is extremely valuable. As you noted, he brings more than 25 years of experience. He worked at Arsenal, has conducted international seminars in many countries, and has introduced his own methodologies.
All the knowledge he provides significantly contributes to building a strong Talent ID system in Kazakhstan. Steve is a master of his craft — a highly accomplished specialist. I believe he will continue supporting us going forward. This workshop is just the beginning. It is an introductory, overview format, but the work will continue as we develop our scouting structure.
Starting next year, we will begin full-scale scout education programmes — not only in Astana but also in other regions of Kazakhstan.
