Free Agent Rescue - Finding Homes For Free Agents

FREE AGENT RESCUE
FINDING A SUITABLE CLUB FOR
PLAYERS WITHOUT ONE

THE AIM
Every season there are hundreds of players who are released
from their contracts and some will never find a new club, some
will settle for a club way below their talent level and some will
find a new home that allows them to thrive.
CLUBPro is aiming to increase the number of the latter and
reduce the number of players who cannot find a home. This will
also help clubs to comb through the free agents to find players
that will benefit their aims.

Step One
Identify Free Agent's Level of
Performance and style of play
THE PROCESS
Step Two
Find clubs with at an appropriate
level & style of play using KPIs
identified
Step Three
Assess the competition for places and
need for the player at these clubs
Step 4
Final club identification

THE PLAYERS
In this specific case we will focus on four free agents in particular who had
previously been playing for clubs who are currently in the EFL:
Nathan Sheron (formerly of Fleetwood Town)
Kyle Vassell (formerly of Rotherham United)
Stephen Hendrie (formerly of Morecambe)
Cameron Yates (formerly of Wycombe Wanderers)
We will profile the players as individuals, assess their level using video scouting
and data profiling, and then use our club model to find the right stylistic fit for
the player's current and potential level.

One Line Report
Technically sound, physically adept midfielder who can play in defence
NATHAN SHERON
Career History
On-pitch heatmap
Liverpool (Youth)
Fleetwood Town
Various loans inc. Walsall &
St. Mirren
20/21 Season
Appearances: 8
(7 for St. Mirren)
Goals: 0
xG: 0.09
Vital Statistics
Age: 23
Height: 183cm
Foot: Right
Wage: £800
Assists: 0
xA: 0

NATHAN SHERON
Assessing his move to Harrogate
Step One: Identify his Level of
Performance
This was achieved through video scouting and data
analysis. The results are displayed on the next two pages.

NATHAN SHERON - KEY ANALYSIS IN FINDING A CLUB
Sheron has good technical ability so will be best
used in a team that uses the ball positively
(Medium to High Possession)
Hasn't played much football for his age. Would
likely need to drop down a level or two to get
minutes under his belt.
Teams that play high tempo and move the ball
quickly through the thirds (High Direct Speed & High
Passing Rate)
Physicality and pace means that he could flourish in
games with lots of turnovers (Low Sequence Time,
Low PPDA, High Defensive Duels)
Has played his entire career in the north of
England or Scotland - would perhaps prefer a
northern club
Rarely carries the ball forwards (Low progressive
runs from last seasons CMs)
Can win aerial duels really successfully in the
middle third (High Team Aerial Duels)

NATHAN SHERON
Step Two: Assess Harrogate's Level
Harrogate Town
Ideal level for Sheron
LEAGUE 1 LEAGUE 2 N. LEAGUE

Step Three: Style of Play Comparison
Having confirmed that Harrogate are operating at a suitable level we will
now assess their suitability in terms of style of play.
Using data we can assign key performance indicators to our scouting
assessment
We can see from this initial analysis that Harrogate's style of
play is a good match for Sheron's strengths

We can even do an indepth
analysis on key
individual areas of his
Sheron's game and
compare to this to how
Harrogate play
Does His Passing
Suit Harrogate?
Harrogate look to progress the ball quickly from
back to front through short, medium and long,
quick 1/2 touch passes. The centre forwards are
pivotal in this both making runs into channels and
dropping between the lines to receive.
The midfielders need to be able to quickly play
forwards, finding the centre forwards between the
lines or hitting balls in behind into the channels

NATHAN SHERON
The pass map shows
the passes Harrogate
need are the forward
passes which Sheron
plays regularly
meaning that he
should suit this style
of play perfectly.

NATHAN SHERON
Forward Pass Clusters
This graphic visualises the 3 ‘forward pass clusters’ that Sheron plays most often. In order to do this, we
created a database of all the forward passes Sheron played for St Mirren in 20/21 and then used ‘K-Means
Clustering’ to discover similarity in where those passes started and finished. This showed that there should
be 5 clusters for the amount of forward passes Sheron played and we have visualised only the top 3 to
show the passes which he plays most regularly.
From this we can see that Sheron primarily plays the ball into the channels for forwards and wingers to
chase. These don’t tend to be through balls or line-breaking passes but more speculative passes.
Sometimes they can simply be Sheron just hitting space because he is under pressure and doesn’t back
himself to play a pass into feet in midfield or to the striker. However, if he were in a team with pace on the
wings or upfront, this could work well.
The other cluster is how Sheron passes the centre of midfield. These are primarily passes directly forwards
and tend to be looking for the centre forward to try and hold the ball up. These can vary between being
passes to feet or lofted balls to be won in the air or controlled on the chest. Coupled with his other clusters,
this suggests that he might be best in a team with a physical centre forward and quick wingers.

Step Four: Compare Sheron to Harrogate's midfielders
last season to further assess suitability & competition for
places
Last season Harrogate primarily shared
their midfield minutes between 3
players, with Falkingham and Kerry
playing the bulk of the minutes
Kirby has been sent out on loan opening a slot in midfield
Falkingham and Kerry are both in their 30s meaning they are
not long term options for Harrogate
Midfielder Alex Pattison (23) has also been signed, he will
provide stiff competition for places having played in League
One and the Championship for Wycombe

IN POSSESSION
Passing
Sheron looks to play forward more regularly than Harrogate's current CMs which will suit their style of play and
could improve direct attacking speed
Sheron should see more of the ball that at previous clubs he has played for which will allow him to demonstrate
his technical ability
CMs play a lower or similar percentage of long passes, this should suit his passing range
Sheron's long passing accuracy is considerably lower than Harrogate's midfielders last season
Verdict:
Sheron's style and passing ability appears well suited to Harrogate
Despite this Sheron should focus on improving his long passing accuracy

IN POSSESSION
CREATIVITY
There are low chance creation demands on Harrogate central midfielders. This is important given
Sheron's low xA
Little expectation on central midifielders to carry the ball which will suit Sheron who wants to
move the ball forwards quickly
Verdict:
Very good match

OUT OF POSSESSION
Harrogate's central midfielders have a much high defensive duel volume, this should suit Sheron who is tenacious
and combative in duels and shines in this area of the game
Sheron has a similar defensive duel success rate indicating he should fit in well to Harrogate's style of play which
requires heavy pressure in midfield areas
Sheron is much better aerially than Harrogate's current CMs, this is important given the high number of aerial duels
Harrogate compete for p90 and should offer good protection for high balls in front of the back 4 allowing
Harrogate to be more dominant in MF battle
Sheron completes considerably more interceptions p90 than Harrogate's current CMs,this could indicate a better
defensive awareness/positioning which was identified as being very high for League Two standard in our video
scouting
Verdict:
Very good match

OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
Like Sheron, Pattison is strong aerially and in duels while also primarily looks to pass
forwards in possession. This is a good sign asnew signing it shows consistency in
recruitment to match the desired style and is further evidence that Harrogate will be a
good stylistic fit for Sheron.
Pattison's signing does however mean there will be more competition for places. If
Harrogate continue to play 4-4-2 Sheron's game time might be impacted as he will
be competing with Falkingham, Kerry and Pattison for just two starting places
Sheron's versatility means that he can easily provide cover at centre back, where
Harrogate currently only have 3 options

OVERALL VERDICT
Excellent Move For Sheron
Harrogate's style of play combined with the demands they place on their central midfielders make them
an ideal fit for Sheron's strengths and weaknesses
The only concern is the competition for places in midfield, although no player that Sheron will be
competing with is of a considerably higher quality or better fit for Harrogate
Sheron should focus on improving his long passing behind the opposition so that he is better able to find
centre forwards making runs into the channels and in-behind the defence
We expect Sheron to shine in Harrogate's system as it will give him the opportunity to show off his out of
possession attributes while also suiting his preference to move the ball quickly and forwards and giving
him more touches than he averaged with other teams
Sheron's aerial ability and defensive positioning will improve Harrogate's midfield and provide better
protection for the back 4

One Line Report
Experienced forward who can play in most systems and
provide a physical presence
KYLE VASSELL
Career History
On-pitch heatmap
Peterborough United
Oxford United
Shrewsbury Town
Blackpool
Rotherham United
Fleetwood Town (loan)
20/21 Season Vital Statistics
Appearances: 24(2)
Goals: 4
xG: 8.86
Assists: 2
xA: 2.08
Age: 28
Height: 183cm
Foot: Right
Wage: 2k

KYLE VASSELL
Finding Him a New Club
Step One: Identify his level &
preferred style of play
This was achieved through video scouting and
data analysis. The results are displayed on the
next two pages.

KYLE VASSELL - KEY ANALYSIS IN FINDING A CLUB
Best suited to a low possession, counter attacking
side due to physicality, movement and pace (Low
Possession, High Direct Attacking Speed, High
Volume of Direct Attacks)
Is not prolific so may need goals around him
Should be better aerially given size
Good at linking play and running the channels (Low
Passes Per Sequence)
Good presser whose suited to a high pressing side
(Low PPDA & High Turnovers)
Can play in a front 2 or 3 (Adaptable across variety
of formations)

KYLE VASSELL
Step Two: Find League One clubs with an
appropriate style of play using KPIs identified
Vassell is best suited to
League One football
CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE 1 LEAGUE 1

KYLE VASSELL
Step Two: Club Identification
The graphic below presents data on seven sides in League One
which were found to best suit Vassell's skillset
What
suits
Vassell
Burton
Albion
Shrewsbury
Town
Gillingham Fleetwood
Town
Accrington
Stanley
AFC
Wimbledon
Lincoln
City
PPDA
Low
12.4
12
13.1
11.3
11.8
12.1
12.4
High Turnovers
High
317
306
254
284
325
302
290
Possession
Low
44%
46%
41%
51%
46%
45%
50%
Direct Attacking Speed
High
1.93
1.54
2.13
1.41
2.13
1.61
1.75
Sequence Time
Low
5.24
6.03
4.78
6.77
5.25
6.13
7.64
Passes per Sequence
Low
2.21
2.43
1.91
2.65
2.2
2.34
2.93
Direct Attacks
High
50
50
52
57
70
62
92

KYLE VASSELL
Burton Albion
Shrewsbury Town
Gillingham
Fleetwood Town
Accrington Stanley
AFC Wimbledon
Lincoln City
Step Three: Forwards at Identified Clubs
One good central forward in Kane Hemmings, but probably in the
market for another, especially if they can also play wide. Recently
had Aaron Amadi-Holloway on trial
Short up front last season. Need a quality forward to help fill the
gap, linked with Sam Vokes recently.
Yet to replace Dominic Samuel. Vadaine Oliver linked with a move
away. Only two senior CFs under contract.
Very short on numbers up front with loanee Edmondson &
inexperienced Gerard Garner there. Had Vassell on loan last
season.
Unlikely to be room unless either Dion Charles or Colby Bishop
moves on - which is a possibility.
Have lost key forwards Pigott and Longman from last season, need
reinforcements.
Signing of N'Lundulu & importance of Tom Hopper means central
playing time at a premium. Would be unlikely to be suitable for a
wide forward role for Lincoln.
4-2-3-1
3-4-1-2
4-2-3-1
4-2-3-1
4-4-2
3-5-2
4-2-3-1
3-5-2
4-3-1-2
4-2-3-1
4-4-2
4-2-3-1
4-3-3

KYLE VASSELL
Step Four: Final Recommendations
AFC Wimbledon: Excellent. Great fit in terms of
style of play and Vassell would bring experience
and guidance to an otherwise young but talented
attack
Shrewsbury Town: Very Good.
Slight concern is lack of goals in
the rest of the side with Vassell not
being prolific
Burton Albion: Very Good.
Only doubt is whether they are in the
market for a forward
Fleetwood Town: Very Good.
Direct attacking speed likely to
increase under Simon Grayson
improving the match further
Gillingham: Good. Some minor concerns over lack of high press and the volume of aerial duels the centre forward
is expected to compete in
Accrington Stanley: Monitor closely. Excellent match but availability dependent on sales
Lincoln City: Very Poor. Competition for places and formation mean that first team opportunities wouldn't exist

One Line Report
Solid full-back who just won promotion from League Two
STEPHEN HENDRIE
Career History
On-pitch heatmap
Hamilton Academical
West Ham
Blackburn Rovers
Southend United
Kilmarnock
Morecambe
20/21 Season Vital Statistics
Appearances: 2(7)
Goals: 1
xG: 0.64
Assists: 2
xA: 3.26
Age: 26
Height: 178cm
Foot: Left
Wage: £900

STEPHEN HENDRIE
Finding Him a New Club
Step One: Identify his level &
preferred style of play
This was achieved through video scouting
and data analysis. The results are displayed
on the next two pages.

Hendrie largely crosses from
deep areas and is most
effective in these areas. This
is an important consideration
when finding a club as it
shows he likes to support play
from behind rather than
attacking the byline

STEPHEN HENDRIE - KEY ANALYSIS IN FINDING A CLUB
Suited to a team which defends deeper and does
not allow a lot of space in behind (Low PPDA & Low
High Turnovers)
May struggle for game time at a top League Two
club (20/21 finishing position 10th or below)
Best when passing ball forwards quickly (Low
Possession & Low Passes Per Sequence)
Rarely carries the ball forwards (Low Dribbles & Low
Progressive Runs of least seasons LB)
Likes to support from behind (Deeper Positioning
from last seasons LB)
Best suited to left back role (Team predominantly
plays with a back 4)

STEPHEN HENDRIE
Step Two: Find League One clubs with an
appropriate style of play using KPIs identified
We are primarily looking for teams in
League Two although Hendrie may
need to be prepared to drop into the
National League given his highly
specific demands
LEAGUE 1 LEAGUE 2 N. LEAGUE

Step Two: Club Identification
The graphic below presents data on five sides in League Two
which were found to best suit Hendrie's skillset
Due to the current make-up of squads at Oldham, Leyton Orient and Scunthorpe it is recommended that Hendrie
only considers moves to Stevenage & Colchester United
We will now compare the current left backs at those two clubs to find an optimal move

Step Three: Competition At
Colchester United
Identified Clubs
Clampin 20/21 Hendrie 20/21
We can see from Clampin's heat map that he rarely ventured forwards into the final 3rd last season. Providing
defensive solidity and deeper support in possession was his primary role.
When he does get forwards he most frequently occupies the deeper wide areas where
Hendrie is adept at crossing from.
An initial analysis of the heatmaps supports the idea that Hendrie is a good fit for Colchester

AGE AND MINUTES
Clampin was not a guaranteed starter last season, playing less than half the available minutes
It is likely the starting left back position at Colchester will be up-for-grabs next season
Verdict:
Excellent sign that Hendrie could earn starting spot at Colchester

IN POSSESSION
Passing
Hendrie offers much better ball pogression than Clampin. This is important for Colchester
who struggled massively progressing the ball upfield last season, ranking bottom on
progressive pass accuracy (65.2%) and 19th out of 24 for progressive passes
Clampin has a better overall pass accuracy but this is primarily due to
him attempting safer passess than Hendrie
Verdict:
Hendrie is a better fit than Clampin for Colchester's direct style of play as he is capable
of accurately and more regualrly passing the ball forwards to Colchester's talented
attacking players

IN POSSESSION
Creativity
Hendrie offers far more creativity from crosses and passes, again this is important as
Colchester struggled to create chances ranking 22nd/24 for xG last season
Hendrie was involved in a much higher number of moves resulting in goal, again indicating his
superior ability to support effective build-up play down the left side, although this is influenced by
Morecambe being a much better attacking side than Colchester last season
Clampin was not expected to perform a high number of carries last season, this is
important as it suits Hendrie's style of play
Verdict:
Hendrie offers more creatvity from left back than Clampin

OUT OF POSSESSION
Hendrie is a high volume defender which is vital given the defensive workload Colchester's LBs go
through and is strong in defensive duels.
The only area whereby Hendrie is significantly weaker than Clampin is in aerial duels,
although he is still competitive aerially
Verdict:
Hendrie is a good enough defender to play for Colchester. Although Clampin's KPIs are
slightly higher a lot of this is attributed to Colchester's poor overall defensive record
Final Verdict:
Hendrie would represent a better option at LB than Clampin for Colchester. His ability to move the ball forwards
and cross from deep is a much better match for Colchester's style of play while he has the defensive ability to
cover Colchester's left sided attackers

Step Three: Competition At
Stevenage
Identified Clubs
Coker 20/21 Hendrie 20/21
A comparison of Coker's and Hendrie's heat maps show that while they performed
similar, roles Coker generally got into higher areas more regularly than Hendrie. This
may be a concern when assessing Hendrie's suitability

AGE AND MINUTES
Ben Coker was a clear number one starter for Stevenage last season
Verdict:
Concerning as Hendrie would likely join as back-up or competition for Coker
and may struggle for game time

IN POSSESSION
Passing
Coker appears to be better at retaining possession and is more efficient in his use of the ball
While Hendrie look to play a higher proportion of his passes forwards, Coker plays forward with greater
accuracy and efficiency
Verdict:
Coker appears to be a good fit for Stevenage in possession and Hendrie is unlikely to replace him on this
basis

IN POSSESSION
Creativity
Offered similar levels of total attacking output, although Coker did this in a less creative team than Hendrie
& therefore performed to a higher level relatively
Coker was a significantly more efficient crosser, primarily due to being better at delivering from advanced
positions. Coker was also more efficient generally in attack
Ball progression, deep completion and deep crossing data indicates that the attacking posional demands of the role
would not be beyond Hendrie so are less of a concern than first thought
Verdict:
Hendrie is a pretty good fit attacking wise but Coker is probably slightly better suited to the role

OUT OF POSSESSION
Hendrie was more slightly active defensively than Coker and they had similar success rates in
their defensive actions
Verdict:
Hendrie would have no issues with the defensive demands expected of him at Stevenage
Final Verdict:
Hendrie would be a good fit for Stevenage and is capable of competing for a starting place with Coker. However,
with Coker already being established he may be difficult to displace meaning Hendrie may spend a lot of time
on the bench

STEPHEN HENDRIE
Step Four: Final Recommendations
Hendrie should prioritise a move to Colchester, however if he is
happy playing a back up role a move to Stevenage still presents
a good potential route back into football
If neither move materialises Hendrie should seek a National League move where he
can shine and attract the attention of Football League sides. ClubPro can assist
with identifying the perfect National League move.

One Line Report
Young goalkeeper requiring more game experience but has good
shot-stopping ability
CAMERON YATES
Career History
On-pitch heatmap
Leicester City (youth)
Wycombe Wanderers
20/21 Season Vital Statistics
No appearances
last season
Age: 22
Height: 186cm
Foot: Right
Wage: £500

CAMERON YATES
Finding Him a Football League Club
Step One: Identify his level &
preferred style of play
This was achieved through video scouting and
data analysis. The results are displayed on the
next three pages.

CAMERON YATES - KEY ANALYSIS IN FINDING A CLUB
Excels at close range reaction saves (High xG per
shot, Low average shot distance & High volume of
goals conceded inside box)
Is not as comfortable with ball at feet as some
other keepers (Low team possession & passes per
sequence, low GK short passes & received passes,
high percentage of long goalkicks)
Quick and capable of being converted into a
sweeper keeper (Low PPDA & High high turnovers)

CAMERON YATES
Step 2: Identify League Two teams in
need of a goalkeeper
Good #2 at League Two
level
Potential to be #1 in
National League
LEAGUE 1 LEAGUE 2 N. LEAGUE

CAMERON YATES
Step Two: Club Identification
Best Fits
Salford City – Only current senior keeper is Tom King who looks set to
be #1 but #2 position looks open
Bristol Rovers – Only current senior keeper is Anssi Jaakkola who looks
set to be #1 but #2 position looks open
Oldham Athletic - Only current senior keeper is keeper Jayson
Leutwiler who looks set to be #1 but #2 position looks open
Stevenage – Only current senior keeper is keeper Joseph Anang who
looks set to be #1 but #2 position looks open
Scunthorpe United - Only current senior keeper is keeper Rory Watson
who looks set to be #1 but #2 position looks open
Hartlepool United – Current #1 Ben Killip has been offered new
contract, they have no other senior keepers under contract

CAMERON YATES
Step Two: Club Identification
Likely Fit
Swindon Town – Only current senior keeper is Joe Wollacott who has
potential to be #1 but unclear if Swindon will want a #1 or #2
Possible Fit
Carlisle United – Only current senior keeper is keeper Magnus Norman
who was #2 last season, likely Carlisle will want an experienced #1 but
could be worth exploring

CAMERON YATES
Step Three: Curating Clubs by Style of Play
Salford City
• Played the 2nd most passes p90
• Had 5th highest average possession
• Hladky played the 3rd most passes p90 with 52% of his passes being played short
• Have signed Tom King as #1 who is one of the best distributors in League Two indicating a continued
importance in the goalkeepers ability to play out from the back next season
Bristol Rovers
• Likely to be a high possession and dominant side in League Two in line with Joey Barton’s Fleetwood
side of 19/20
• Barton’s sides tend to defend deep in space nullifying Yates’ speed and ability to sweep
• Jaakola played 73% of his passes short last season indicating high ball-playing demands being
placed on the goalkeeper for Rovers

CAMERON YATES
Step Three: Curating Clubs by Style of Play
Carlisle United
• Although they rarely concede shots they have the 3rd highest xG per shot &
concede a high volume of shots inside their box indicating a need for a keeper
who excels in reaction saves
• Are very direct, registering the fewest passes per sequence in League Two last
season, Farman played 73% of his passes long last season
• Rank highest in division for PPDA and high turnovers indicating a need to play
a relatively high line which Yates could adapt to as a sweeper
• Current keeper Norman is more dominant aerially than Yates but lacks the
speed to sweep behind his defence, Yates may therefore be able to prove
himself as a better fit for Carlisle

Scunthorpe United
• Very direct from keeper with 97% of goal kicks and 76% of goalkeepers passes going long
• Concede an above average xG per shot & 59/64 goals conceded were inside the area
indicating the need for a keeper who can make big saves inside the area
Oldham Athletic
• Recently appointed Keith Curle as manager. His Northampton Town side played the 3rd
fewest passes and 3rd high % of long passes in the 18/19 League Two season, indicating
reduced ball playing demands on keepers
• That same side allowed a below average PPDA against, indicating a need to press high up
the pitch and for a quick keeper who can sweep in behind

CAMERON YATES
Step Four: Final Recommendations
The best potential moves based on both availability of positions and style of
play appear to be Scunthorpe United and Oldham Athletic.
Carlisle United are the best style fit however whether they would want a
goalkeeper of Yates’ standing or a more established #1 would need to be
explored.
Stevenage and Hartlepool represent good moves based on availability and
although they place more demands on their keepers ball-playing ability
than Scunthorpe and Oldham Yates should be able to cope with/adapt to
these.
Salford and Bristol Rovers are unlikely to play to Yates strengths as a
goalkeeper so do not represent good moves.
Swindon Town were impossible to accurately assess due to the lack of
manager and being in a different division last season, however any move to
Swindon should be done with caution given the financial off-field turmoil at
the club