Football Manager used by real clubs to find next Andy Carroll

Top Premier League clubs including Chelsea and Manchester City will use data from best-selling simulation game Football Manager to scout players and track down the next Raheem Sterling or James Rodriguez.

A deal between developer Sports Interactive and performance analysts Prozone will see the giant database of 550,000 players incorporated into Prozone’s own Recruiter software. The online analysis platform is used to scout potential players for clubs around the globe and the Football Manager database will add biographical, contractual and positional information to Prozone.

The data supplied by Football Manager will be used by some of the world’s biggest clubs to help them scout the next global superstars. Prozone Recruiter is used by over 300 clubs with data spanning football, rugby union and rugby league. Statistical data sits alongside analysis tool s and archived video footage of over 80,000 players across the globe.

“The Sports Interactive database is a highly accurate and valuable resource that will further enhance the recruitment services that we provide,” said Prozone boss Thomas Schmider.

Sports Interactive has more than 1,300 scouts around the world and its critically acclaimed Football Manager series has been a best-seller since it launched under the guise of Championship Manager in 1992.

“For years we’ve heard stories of real-life managers and scouts using our data to help with the recruitment process,” said Sports Interactive studio director Miles Jacobson. “From now on, it’s official. Real managers around the world will be finding and comparing players using data and a search system that will be very familiar to players of Football Manager.”

Prozone’s existing database is used by clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona, while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has praised it for providing “a dynamic and unique insight into the team’s performance”.