Send in as much information about his playing career,

including fixture list if they currently play for a club, to:

Recruitment Department
Reading FC
Madejski Stadium
Junction 11, M4
Reading
Berkshire
RG2 0FL
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Our Academy then may or may not send a scout to watch the boy.

As well as contacting the Recruitment Team with full

details of a youngster's playing history, it is also possible for

talented children to be spotted through our Football in the

Community scheme.

If one of our coaches or scouts identifies a player at a soccer

school or school club, they may be invited to spend time

at one of our Development Centres, which are held throughout

the region. From there, the most talented players can be invited

to join the Academy's Elite Centre, which takes place at Madejski

Stadium once a week for boys aged between 7-13, and

successful graduates from the Elite Centre will be invited to a

six-week trial to join their Academy age-group.

To recommend a player to the Recruitment Team, please send

a letter with full details of the boy's playing history, along

with details of forthcoming games, venues and kick-off times.

Academy Manager Eamonn Dolan told us: "If you know a

talented young player, the first thing to do is contact the

Recruitment Team at the football club. Up to the age of

12 we can recruit anyone who lives within an hour's

travelling distance, and between the ages of 12 and 16 that

increases to an hour and a half.

"If your granddad, work colleague or hairdresser knows a player

who might be good enough for the Academy, let us know.

It's then up to us to be professional enough to follow that up,

and we will. We have scouts who will go and watch players -

often a player will have been watched without them even

realising it - and if we like the look of someone, we can

invite them in for a six-week trial."

Eamonn says that it's important to introduce youngsters

to the Academy system as early as possible, stating,

"The golden years of learning are between seven and 11,

when you can really get the kids into all the good habits.

Kids are so receptive at that age, so our coaches are

able to get into their thinking. We want players as young

as possible, even at six or seven years of age. This is an

elite programme and we're looking for the best."

The Academy boss also adds that a complete infrastructure

is in place to look after our young players: "We ask a lot of

our children, but we can offer them excellent back-up in

terms of coaching, medical treatment, education and welfare.

This is a good place for anyone, and certainly any local boy

should be coming here now."