Mat Sadler explains how data scouting helped Walsall sign Jake Hollman

Courtney Clarke and Harrison Burke have become the latest scoops from non-league, Mason Hancock was discovered in the Scottish second-tier, but the most curious of them all was the arrival of Jake Hollman from Macarthur FC.

Hollman, with over a century of appearances in the Australian top-flight, has jetted 10,700 miles to the other side of the world to begin his new adventure in the West Midlands. 

Time will tell whether Mat Sadler has unearthed a gem, but the most pressing question was how did he discover the midfielder in the first place? 

Walsall 'worldwide'

Signings can come in many different forms. Local relationships are key, scouting is essential, but data played the biggest role in this capture - Sadler revealed.

"We use a company that scouts worldwide and we're trying to get our fingerprints in as many different avenues as we possibly can," the Walsall boss explains. 

"Amongst all of that, we scout very locally but we also scout much bigger than that. This was a guy that was highlighted to us about six to eight weeks ago and we've done a lot of work on whether we should take that on. 

"We thought it was going to be a process of a couple of weeks but it ended up taking longer because it was probably the first time we've done one of these deals." 

Data should only ever help you gain a clearer picture of what the eye can already see, but its very presence can also help Walsall cast their net further than they did before. 

Helping him settle in Walsall

Yet behind the numbers and his potential on the pitch, Sadler must also get the human element right, and he outlined the process behind helping him settle in his new surroundings.

He added: "There are many variables you have to factor into it. Do the leagues match up in terms of the way that the A-League is versus our division? 

"But it's a division that other teams are recruiting and it was quite exciting when it came up. We'll see how he adapts, how he settles and I think there will be a period where he needs that.

"Naturally, he has left his family and his partner who will be coming over in a few months time. He has been in Sweden for the past six weeks basically in holding to come over to us so the time zones haven't been an issue. 

"There's all of this which goes into it because he's a person at the end of the day. So there is always going to be a period and a process with that, but I have full confidence everyone will help welcome him."

A potential benchmark for the future

Prior to Hollman, Walsall had not signed a player from outside the UK or Ireland since 2019, and the 23-year-old has become the first Australian to play for the Saddlers in almost two decades. 

Sadler and his recruitment team will now be following his progress closely and perhaps using it as a benchmark for any prospective signings in future windows. 

"You've got to be careful with that because you've got to make sure that we get the right guys, but we do have access to that with the different avenues we can use," he concluded.

"It's important to see how that translates to what League Two looks like and see if we can make reference to the the comparable aspects between leagues. 

"If opportunities come up then we'll try to look as best as we can into them."