Flynn Holdem is a 17-year-old striker who plays for Nomads in the New Zealand National League. Holdem has been playing senior football since 2023 when he was 15, and was Nomads’ top scorer last season at only 16. He missed the start of the current season, presumably due to injury, but has scored 6 goals in less than 500 minutes since his return.
Holdem is a very physically strong player. He is around 6’2″ (1.88 m) with a very broad and muscular physique for a teenager. Holdem is an absolute beast in physical battles, particularly aerial duels. In addition to his height and strength, Holdem is also a fantastic jumper. As a result, he gets a lot of headed shots and can get some real power on his headed efforts. However, headed shots are difficult to convert even for players who are relatively good at them. In the games I watched, I saw Holdem attempt a grand total of two shots with his feet. I think Holdem’s movement in the box is going to have to get a lot sharper. He can crush centre-backs with his aerial ability but he doesn’t get free from markers often enough to get easier close-range finishes. He is also a little bit on the slow side which limits his ability to get in behind defences. But this is something that could improve as Holdem gets older and continues to mature physically. Holdem’s strength does allow for some decent hold-up play. However, he is a little bit slow to move the ball and is a bit clumsy in general, which leads to a lot of giveaways. Again, it is worth remembering here that Holdem is still very young and probably not used to moving his massive frame around. With age and experience, I think his in-possession play will improve. Holdem does not do very much dribbling, but he has enough ability that he can get the better of a defender if he is isolated against them in space.
Holdem’s size and aerial ability naturally make him useful when defending set pieces. Holdem does a lot of pressing work but he is not that sophisticated of a defender, it is mostly just chasing the ball when he is called upon to do so. His mediocre pace also limits his effectiveness in the press a little bit.
Flynn Holdem is an extremely raw player, but there are a lot of things to like about him. The fact that he is able to do what he does at a young age and not on one of the dominant teams is very impressive. His physicality, which is also likely to improve from here, is also very impressive. Holdem turns 18 in August which allows him to move abroad. I think he would be a smart low-cost bet for clubs outside the top-5 leagues, though obviously, he would need to develop further in reserve or U-20 football first.
Target Scouting 