Lukáš Strelka (32) is a scout for the football agency STARS & FRIENDS. Graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Comenius University and went through the youth academy of MŠK Žilina. He also worked as a coach in the youth clubs ŠK Slovan Bratislava and MFK Ružomberok. Since 2021, he has been part of the STARS & FRIENDS team, where he is dedicated to finding and monitoring talented players with international reach. In the interview, he explains how scouting works, what he notices in young football players, and how their journey to professional football is going.
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Lukáš, you have been working in the international scouting department of the STARS & FRIENDS agency since 2021. How do you feel in this position?
First of all, I appreciate our team in terms of professional and character quality - it is my football family. Through our internal methodology combined with data support, we capture trends in international football, which gives us the necessary advantage in the market.
You previously worked as a youth coach. How does this experience help you in scouting players?
The coaching dimension is still very important to me. However, the main difference is in the point of view. While as a coach you primarily analyze the team's game system (yours and your opponents), as a scout I focus in detail on the role of the player - his talent, game performance and potential.
What do you enjoy most about the work of a scout?
Especially the analysis of matches and contact with players - managing for the purpose of their individual development.
Many people imagine a scout as someone who goes to matches and "discovers talent". What does the reality look like?
Yes, recognizing talent is an important part of my job, but if we are talking about complexity, there are certainly other factors that are important. Communication with the player, planning and managing his career. Also cooperation with clubs, knowledge of the market and monitoring development trends.
How many matches do you watch in a month?
This is very individual, there are periods when I watch 6-8 matches per weekend, 10-12 during the week. Their number depends on the phase of the season and the fulfillment of other challenges associated with the agency.
Do you watch players only in matches, or also in training?
Mostly in matches, but there are certain exceptions when we want to verify the player's approach in the training process.
How long do we usually watch a young player before you decide to approach him?
When it comes to youth players, we put our trust in them based on their talent. This period is individual, some players convince you almost immediately and subsequently confirm their performance, others mature later - everyone has their own timeline. However, we also invest time in getting to know the player's personality off the field - character, mentality.
When you come to a match, what do you notice first about the player?
If it is the first contact with a player that I have never seen before, it is important for me whether he has any quality that could make him stand out in international football.
What quality do you mean?
Speed is very important. For each position it is something different, for example for defenders I am interested in the quality of the defensive battle, for midfielders the game intelligence, for offensive players creativity in 1v1 play and finishing skills.
What is more important – technique, physical parameters or mentality of the player?
At the highest level, it is a complex of the aforementioned qualities to which the tactical aspect is added. If we are talking about revealing the talent of young players, the most important for me are movement skills, football skills and the emotion of being on the field.
Can you estimate after a few minutes whether a player has potential?
Sometimes it happens that a player impresses with something special from the opening minutes. It is positive to see if a player takes the initiative and is courageous from the start of the match, when the score is 0:0. It is a sign of game confidence, but it is not the only condition.
What are the most common mistakes that young players make when they want to impress?
From my point of view, these are mainly situations when players put themselves in the position of "false leaders" or consider their performance off the field to be more important than on the field.
What do you think distinguishes a good player from one who has a chance of a professional career?
Although we try to recognize and evaluate all the factors that affect the line between success and failure of a player in time, nothing is guaranteed in football. The most challenging is the transition of a player from the youth to the A-team. I consider the ability to manage this transition while maintaining your playing identity as a strong confirmation of potential.
How important is mentality and work ethic?
In today's era, when details matter, this is one of the basic conditions that a player has full control over. If a certain amount of talent and good health are added to this, a player can think about success.
Can you remember a player who surprised you with his progress?
There are several cases, but I would not like to specify. Recently, I have been pleased with the gradual adaptation of young STARS & FRIENDS players to professional football.
As a former coach - what would you recommend to young players who want to impress scouts?
First of all, their goal should not be to impress scouts. Their primary focus should be on the process they are in. I would advise them to try to discover their strongest side, develop it and use it to make a difference in the game.
What should parents of young footballers focus on?
From my perspective on their role in raising a potential athlete - it should be supportive, but only to the extent that the young player feels that football is still his and not his parents'. I also recommend consulting with experts, but not replacing the coach's work.
What should young players do outside of training to improve?
It depends a lot on age. Up to 12-13 years old, unorganized "street football" is helpful, which is already very absent today. From around 14-15 years of age, I can imagine additional individualization - according to the player's function and also to develop fitness potential (injury prevention, strength-speed program). The pressure on young players is increasing and therefore work in the field of psychology is gaining in importance.
Let's also touch on the process of selecting players for professional clubs. How does it work?
European clubs in various countries are familiar with our work system and therefore often turn to our agency with their requirements. The club defines the player function they are looking for and also a detailed specification based on which the player has the prerequisites to fit into the club's game system and philosophy. Other factors such as age, contract and player price also affect the potential transfer. We select the most suitable player profiles from the countries in which we operate in accordance with these requirements.
How much work is involved in one player, whom the agency ultimately represents?
This mainly involves following matches, regular meetings that evaluate the player's potential. It also involves getting to know the player's character. We want to take care of the person first and only then the footballer - the human factor is important to us and cannot be quantified in hours of work. However, this time has even more added value for us.
How much do data and video analysis help today?
Nowadays, this is a key complementary factor for us. Direct cooperation between the data and scouting departments takes place on a daily basis.
What is the greatest reward in the work of a scout?
Overcoming difficult obstacles is an integral part of the process in a player's career. For me, the greatest reward is every unique story of a player who is shaped by such situations and still finds a way to success.
What would you say to young players who dream of professional football?
So that they don't get discouraged on their journey, cultivate patience and discover their strongest sides.
