It’s often said you can tell a lot about a man by the company he keeps.
It’s an aphorism worth remembering on arguably the most hectic day in the football calendar as clubs rush to grab a deal on transfer deadline day.
And according to one football scout, a young man’s friends can also tell you if he’s going to make it big in the beautiful game.
Lutz Pfannenstiel is a former player who now works for German club Hoffenheim, scouring the globe in the hope of finding a future star.
Profiling players, and seeing how they behave off the pitch, is key to understanding whether they are right for the Bundesliga, insists Pfannenstiel — who played for 25 clubs during a rich and varied career.
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It’s a tactic that Hoffenheim — along with many other German clubs — have used to their advantage.
“The number of players coming from the under 19’s into the premier league in Germany is higher than it ever was before.”
The search is now on for top talent in football, but Pfannenstiel won’t be looking too far afield.
Read: Lutz Pfannenstiel — ‘Lazarus’ footballer who came back from the dead
Read: Luis Figo — The man who could be King of Football
