Chelsea TV hunt for 'Bridge Idol'

Chelsea today launched a new reality television series aimed at uncovering a future Premiership star. The Pop Idol-style contest will be screened by Sky One with the winner offered a place in the club's youth academy.

Six finalists will train with Chelsea - under the guidance of academy director Neil Bath - and candidates will be eliminated until the successful trainee is found. The winner will, however, only land the Chelsea contract if the club's expert judges deem him good enough to make it as a professional.

Chelsea will today start a nationwide search for talented young footballers who have been overlooked by other teams. They will be holding trials for 16 and 17 year-olds in London and two other venues.

The format for the show, which will be called Football Icon, follows other TV reality programmes which have sought to identify future pop stars, businessmen and even politicians. The series will run for eight weeks. Manager Jose Mourinho is fully behind the project and expected to feature in the show. Expert advice will also offered by Chelsea stars such as John Terry and Frank Lampard.

Terry is the only member of Mourinho's Premiership-winning team to emerge from the club's youth system with the rest bought in courtesy of owner Roman Abramovich's millions.

The club are seeking to improve this record of recruiting homegrown talent and are hopeful the contest will prove more than a gimmick.