Brentford FC has teamed up with a college in its search for stars of the future.
The League One-topping club will train talented youths, who will be able to learn valuable work skills at West Thames College, down the road in Isleworth.
The Brentford FC Elite Development Programme, which is open to male school leavers aged 15-17 with three or more GCSEs at grade D or above, was set up to scout potential players who may have slipped through the net when they were younger.
Successful applicants will receive top-level coaching on the pitch, while studying at the college for a BTEC in sport, which will stand them in good stead if they fail to make it in professional football.
Ose Aibangee, Brentford FC Academy director, said: "This is a chance for those who may not have been spotted when they were younger, or who have developed in their teens to get in to the professional game. It also gives them a chance to continue their education at a very good college.
"At the Brentford Academy we want to develop players and people, and this is another way we can do that. I am sure we will find a few diamonds and I look forward to seeing players from this course representing Brentford in the future."
Those taking the two-year course will learn about wide-ranging aspects of sport, from fitness testing and training to psychology, paving the way to careers in coaching and physiotherapy, among other fields.
They will also play regular competitive matches, both at the college and with Brentford FC Academy, which is a stepping stone to the professional ranks.
The programme is set to begin this September, with the first in a series of trials taking place on Wednesday, February 19. You can sign up to take part via the college website.
Brentford FC representatives will also be at the college's open day at its campus in London Road, Isleworth, on Tuesday, March 11, from 4pm-7pm, to answer any questions about the scheme.
