Isaac Heath is a 20-year-old right-footed left-sided attacker who is currently on loan at EFL League Two side Accrington Stanley, on loan from parent club Everton FC. At Accrington, Heath has already been a mainstay in their starting 11, operating from the left either as an offensive wingback or more typically as a wide attacker.
By eye, Isaac stands at around 5’8″, has a narrow frame with a decent level of acceleration, pace, and strong levels of stamina that he consistently shows with runs to attack space with and without the ball. He has excellent foot speed, strong agility, a lower centre of gravity, and can adjust and body feint on the ball quite effortlessly, causing many problems for defenders in 1v1 situations. Currently, he lacks power and has room to develop physically, needing to become more explosive and stronger in terms of upper-body strength. His current physical standing is easy to manipulate, often coming off second best in shoulder-to-shoulder duels, and despite some attempts to shield the ball with a stiff arm/backing-in technique, he lacks the strength to really stop the tackle. This weakness to protect the ball is twofold: a lack of physical attributes to compete, as well as a lack of anticipation of contact. Often, he does not engage to protect the ball early enough when not already in physical contact on the first touch, allowing the tackler to get through using their momentum fairly easily, unless able to shift away on the first touch.
On the ball, Heath comes into a level of his own in 1v1 situations, capable of quick shifts, flicks, and skill-type touches through defenders that often result in others having to come over to double up. He will cleverly drop deeper and wider to isolate his man, feint to face up as early as possible, and show good decision-making on when to attempt an initial take on, although he can lack similar levels of decision-making when in the flow of multiple take-ons, resulting in not passing/taking on too much. Heath relies on technical craft and strong timing, waiting for the defender to attempt a tackle before quickly shifting away, showing variation by cutting both inside and attacking the byline, before delivering a low, driven cross or cutback off both feet.
Whilst quite right-footed in open play, Heath shows a capable first touch, attempting and executing strong technique on dropping controls, using outside and inside parts of his boot to bring the ball under his spell. With the ball at his feet, he is often accurate and will play short lay-off passes inside and forward through the lines when deeper, consistently looking to attack space in search of the return. Despite this, Heath shows a lack of accuracy with his aerial crossing when cutting inside from the left and with his delivery from set pieces, which are often overhit. He can clearly generate power, but currently lacks the accuracy. Similarly, some of his first touches, especially under physical contact, can be overhit and loose enough to lose possession altogether.
Out of possession, Heath shows he is capable of tracking and does attempt to make up for his own mistakes. He is much more willing when pressing high, wanting to regain the ball or force errors in the opposition’s own third. This enthusiasm off the ball does drop when having to defend more in his own half, showing up when playing more as a wingback. Currently ball-oriented, he steps towards the ball, can chase the play, lacks scanning and the ability to screen passes inside, and is slower to get back into the defensive line and react to defending space compared to when looking to attack. This is clear insight into his natural position being far closer to that of an attacking left-sided player.
Heath is a resilient profile that continues to attempt to attack and make runs even when unsuccessful or not found with a pass. He is scrappy with his attempts to win the ball back, showing intensity but a lack of timing in the press. But, he can show some petulance with his reactions.
Overall, Isaac Heath has already shown qualities that point to a future beyond playing in the EFL League Two. There is naivety and a little rawness to his game, as expected for someone taking their first steps into first team football. His 1v1 threat, ability to attack both ways, and delivery in playing low, driven crosses and cutbacks sets him apart as a game changer. Becoming stronger, more powerful, and more efficient in the final third with his number of touches and decision of when to take on another man could see him play for a promotion-chasing EFL League One side to potentially a bottom 6 Championship side in the future.
Target Scouting 