Eltaj Sarizada

I spend a lot of time watching different markets, but I usually come back to a few places.

Belgium is one of them. There are always scouts around, especially at national-team games. You can look around the stands and see people from some of the biggest clubs in Europe. It is a competitive market, but that is also what makes it interesting.

I also spend a lot of time in Poland and looking across Eastern Europe. There is a lot of talent there, and I think some players can still develop without getting the same attention they would receive in some of the bigger football markets.

Georgia is another country I keep an eye on. The football scene is growing, and there are players there who deserve more attention.

And then there is Africa. I don't see it as one market because every country is different, but there is an incredible amount of talent across the continent.

For me, scouting is not about ticking countries off a list. It is about watching enough football to understand where something interesting might appear.

You just have to keep looking. That is what makes scouting exciting to me.

My work is built around people. By the time most people start their workday, I may already have spoken to 20 or 30 people across football and business — clubs, players, agents, brands and executives.

Some are about a player. Some are about a club. Some go nowhere. Others turn into something six months later.

You learn quickly that this business moves through people. The difficult part isn't knowing everyone. It's knowing who matters, remembering what matters to them, and being there when the right opportunity comes.

That is what I work on every day.