UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport (EIS) have teamed up to launch a new talent identification initiative.

The Pitch2Podium scheme aims to provide young footballers (aged 18-22) who have not yet secured a professional football contract, with the opportunity to succeed in an alternative Olympic sport.

Former England international footballer and current England Under-21s coach Stuart Pearce is supporting the programme.

“I’m very happy to offer my support for Pitch2Podium,” he said. “I was let go by my local club at 14 and had to work hard to get back into professional football at a later age. It’s always tough to recover from a setback like that but with determination you can succeed.

“For every player who makes it as a professional, there are many more who don’t make the grade. I would advise any of them to take this chance to try to get to the top in another sport.”

The idea behind the scheme is that the young footballers would already have the physical fitness and skills to apply to other sports. Track and field athletics would be one area that may benefit, but British Hockey and British Cycling are also interested.

Chelsea Warr, UK Sport’s talent identification lead, said: “Football is the largest hotbed of athletic talent in England and many of these players leaving the professional game would already have developed the ready-made skills and abilities we’d be looking for. These, along with the right coaching and support system, would give them the potential to be fast tracked toward the medal rostrum in 2012.”