Kick-start Segmentation Guide for Football Clubs
Reading time:
9 mins
Liam Henshaw didn’t land a job in football through degrees or connections.
He earned it by doing the work publicly: building a portfolio,
sharing online, and staying consistent.
Today, he’s a first-team data analyst and scout, the founder of Recruitment Room, and one of the most approachable and supportive voices for people trying to break into the game.
In this interview, Liam shares:
Let’s get into it.
The first skill that aspiring analysts spend too much time on is formal education—things like a degree, a master’s, or extra courses.
Education can absolutely help develop knowledge, but the problem is that many people think they need certificates, qualifications, and access to elite resources before they can begin progressing in their careers. That’s simply not true.
On the flip side, one area they don’t spend enough time on is building an online portfolio—developing and showcasing their skills by sharing their work publicly. This is the single best way to improve your technical ability, get feedback to continue progressing, and grow your network in the process.
For me, it always comes back to understanding the role of data within your process. As you said, everyone now has access to tools and information—especially in football. The next challenge is around leadership and decision-making: how is that data being used? Who’s involved in the decision process?
There are still many non-optimised workflows within clubs when it comes to effectively using data. The key lesson I’ve learned is the importance of having a robust, structured process that allows data to actually influence decisions, rather than it being ignored or outweighed by subjective opinion.
For me, it’s a habit: building personal connections. If people don’t have a relationship with you, they’re less likely to trust or fully believe in your work. Football is a people-first industry—relationships matter. And as an analyst, where you're often seen as "the data person," you need to be intentional about communication.
That means being open, transparent, and proactive in how you engage with others. Over time, the best thing I’ve done is consistently work on my communication and people skills. It’s what makes you more effective and influential in any football environment.
What stood out to me is Liam’s focus on action over credentials. Too many people wait until they’ve collected certificates before they “start,” when in reality, progress comes from showing your work and inviting feedback. His point about data workflows resonates strongly with my own world in CRM and RevOps: good data without a clear process is just noise. And finally, his emphasis on communication is gold because in football, as in business, the smartest system is useless if people don’t buy into it.
