Before a Spanish coach watches your footage, they have already searched your name. What they find matters.
Before a Spanish technical director meets you in person, watches your footage, or receives any documentation, they will almost certainly search your name on Instagram. What they find in those first thirty seconds matters more than most players realise.
What They Are Looking For
Any content that suggests recreational drug or alcohol use. Public behaviour that conflicts with the professional image the club needs to maintain. Association with content or accounts that could create reputational problems. And the general tone of the profile, does this player take themselves seriously?
A single bad post can undo months of preparation. Clubs know this. They check. They make decisions based on what they find.
The Positive Side
A social media presence that shows consistent training content, genuine engagement with football development, professional conduct, and a clear sense of identity and purpose actively helps your case. It tells a club something about your character before the conversation has even started.
Think of it as a pre-interview that happens without your knowledge. Make it work for you.
SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIT, DO THIS NOW
Step 1: Search your own name, see what a stranger sees first
Step 2: Archive anything you would not want a Technical Director to see
Step 3: Check who you are tagged by, third-party content counts too
Step 4: Review your following and followers, associations matter
Step 5: Post a piece of football content this week, build the professional profile
Ongoing: Treat your public profile as part of your professional presentation
The Bottom Line
Your digital reputation is a technical asset. It costs nothing to protect and nothing to build deliberately. The players who understand this have an advantage before the first conversation has happened.
Protect it. Use it. Let it work for you.
The starting point for any player we work with is an honest evaluation. Submit yours at nxtfootballer.com/evaluate.
Ben Faulkner, NXT Footballer SL
