Almost one year ago COVID-19 took hold of the world. For thousands of young athletes, their lives changed rapidly: from playing football every week, spending almost every minute training with their teammates, to suddenly facing a global pandemic.

Even though these times are tough on players, Tonsser wants to show that it’s still possible to get noticed and how you can make the most of these next months. That's why we spoke with our very own Scouting expert, Oliver Dürr Denhardt, who came up with four key tips for aspiring players and shared his future gaze with us. Enjoy!

With no games being played - what advice would you give to ambitious youth players?

Oliver: It is important to improve your self physically and mentally. When football returns, make sure that you are not behind physically, you need to be at the front. The starting line up will not be made based on the last game, but rather on the fitness and trainings level, so if you have been a top15 player in your team, you have the chance to improve and be the top 5. It can be challenging to work on technical skills and “in-game” skills, when you are not playing or training in a big group. But physically, mentally and regarding tactics (typical lack at young players outside of academies, there are tons of info on this online, gain some knowledge, it will benefit you greatly on the pitch), those are all important aspects of the game. Do improve those in the lock down, no excuses!

How can Tonsser help players in the mean time?‍

Oliver: On Tonsser we provide some of the above, we have content on how to improve your self physically, we will be providing content on the mental side as well, such as our Masterclass. Tonsser can also give you inspiration by looking at other players and what they do. The obvious one is that you of course should make sure that your profile is 100% up to date, Bio, Match data, video, etc, should all be on point. Again, no excuses for not doing that.

What is your forecast for the football industry for the next months?

Oliver: I think we will see academies being very aggressive in terms of recruitment, especially in the beginning of the period, as they need to plan for the coming years, and are already a great deal behind in terms of the players they want to get in. As we see a more hesitating transfer market at the moment, youth national recruitment, and the academy product is more important than ever before.‍

Are there any talents being signed by clubs right now?

Oliver: Players are getting signed but in a much slower pace than normal because budgets are cut.

What hacks do you have for getting noticed during Covid-19?

Oliver: It is difficult to really get noticed by the right people during Covid-19. The best tip I can give is to work on your skills everyday, and make sure you improve, everyday, then you will be in a much better shape when the lockdown is over. When we are back on the pitch, it will not be a completely blanc slate, but almost. It will be very clear who worked during Covid-19, and who stood still.