DORCHESTER Town have linked up with Premier League new boys AFC Bournemouth in the hope of unearthing the best football talent from across Dorset and beyond.

The Dorchester Town ID Centre will form a vital pathway for youngsters from grassroots level into the full AFC Bournemouth academy.

The centre is also designed to give the Cherries’ coaches and staff the opportunity to assess players over an extended period and develop the technical, tactical and physical aspects of their game.

Scott Symes, Dorchester Town FC Academy manager, said: “AFC Bournemouth’s academy has long been one of the best in the country and we are ever so pleased to be working together with them in order to deliver top-class coaching to young children across the region.

“The development centres have unearthed and developed talent including the likes of Adam Lallana and Danny Ings and they are the perfect way to ensure children are nurtured by our top quality coaches from a young age, giving them the best opportunity to progress into the AFC Bournemouth academy, which is our overall aim.”

Players will benefit from sessions delivered by UEFA licensed coaches that follow the AFC Bournemouth Academy syllabus, fixtures during the school holidays and regular assessments by academy staff.

Open trials for the ID Centre, based at Dorchester Sports Centre, take place on Friday, September 18 (U7/8 from 7-8pm) and U9/10 from 8-9pm) and Friday, September 25 (U11/12 from 7-8pm and U13/14 from 8-9pm).

For more details, contact Carl Robson, head of academy recruitment at AFC Bournemouth, via carl.robson@afcb.co.uk or Symes via scottsymes@hotmail.co.uk or on 07826924769.