Adjectives are invisible
When a scout or club reads "hardworking, dedicated, and passionate about football," they learn nothing. Every athlete in their inbox says the same thing. Adjectives are invisible because they cost nothing to write and prove nothing about performance.
Numbers, on the other hand, are evidence. They're specific, verifiable, and they stand out in a document full of vague descriptions.
The before and after
❌ Weak
"Played regularly for my club last season and contributed to several wins."
✓ Strong
"Started 22 of 26 matches. 8 goals, 5 assists. Team finished 2nd in regional league."
❌ Weak
"Strong in aerial duels and good at reading the game defensively."
✓ Strong
"72% aerial duel success rate. Fewest goals conceded when starting (0.9/game avg)."
What numbers to include
Not every athlete has access to advanced analytics — and that's fine. Use what you have:
- Appearances — starts vs. substitute appearances
- Performance stats — goals, assists, clean sheets, wins, whatever is relevant to your position
- Seasons played at each club — duration matters
- Team achievements — league position, cups won, promotion earned
- Representative honours — regional, national, international selections
- Physical benchmarks — sprint times, vertical jump, if tested professionally
If you don't track your own stats, start now. Even a simple notes app with post-match numbers builds a record you can use in 6 months.
CV structure that works
- Header — Name, position, nationality, date of birth, contact, highlight reel link
- Career summary — 3 sentences max. Who you are, what level you play at, what you bring.
- Playing history — Club, season, appearances, key stats. Reverse chronological.
- Honours & achievements — Numbers and outcomes, not descriptions.
- Physical profile — Height, weight, dominant foot, speed data if available.
Keep the whole document to one page. A scout reading 50 CVs will not read a second page unless the first one already convinced them.
Design matters too
A well-designed CV signals professionalism before a scout reads a single word. Use clean typography, consistent spacing, and your club or personal brand colours. A PDF with a professional layout will be taken more seriously than an identical document in a default Word template.