English Premier League clubs team up with AI-powered talent-scouting app

A London-based tech company aims to “democratise” talent scouting in professional football circles through a mobile app easily accessible to young players.

Free to download and accessible worldwide, the aiScout app lets aspiring players take virtual trials for professional clubs by uploading self-recorded videos of themselves performing drills.

According to a CNN article shining a light on this innovation, the app includes 75 exercises designed to test a wide range of skills, with tutorial videos guiding users on how to execute them.

Performances are scored automatically using artificial intelligence (AI). Clubs can then access this data, allowing scouts to review results and refine searches with multiple filters, including age, gender, and pitch position.

The app currently partners with two English Premier League (EPL) teams, the famed London-based Chelsea and Burnley from Lancashire. Clubs can customise in-app trials to fit specific requirements and set benchmarks by having their academy players complete the same exercises.

“We’re putting that data up front to make better use of [the scouts’] time,” said Richard Felton-Thomas, chief operating officer of ai.io, the company behind the app.

“To tell scouts, ‘Go to this game today because three players are exceeding your Chelsea standard’ — that’s the most efficient use of their time,” he added.

Early results suggest it’s effective, with the article pointing to Ben Greenwood, who had never trialled with a professional club before downloading the app in 2019.

After uploading his footage, the 17-year-old earned a trial with Chelsea, becoming the first app user to reach a professional trial. He later signed with EPL side Bournemouth in 2021.

By Nazrin Sadigova