Sport-locker.net can today reveal that Manchester United and England’s Rio Ferdinand is the UK scout for Nike’s global talent search, The Chance. 

A six-month journey spanning 55 countries and five continents, The Chance is looking to unearth the planet’s best unsigned young footballers and mould them into an elite 16-man squad that will travel the globe, training with the world’s best professional teams and playing against the most prestigious academy sides. 

Rio’s first task as a scout for The Chance was to pick the first youngster to take one of 100 places in the UK Finals. 

These finalists will be whittled down to 3 UK winners who will travel to Barcelona for the Global Finals! 

Turning up unannounced on the touchline of a Myerscough College match on the outskirts of Manchester, one player quickly caught Rio’s eye and continued to do so throughout the match – a striker named Joe Bunney. 

As Rio said: “I’d been working with Nike on The Chance and so had been asked to pick out the first UK finalist. Joe instantly caught my eye, he’s a mobile and technically proficient player but it was his attitude that impressed me as much as anything. I’ve no doubt he’s got a lot of potential and I’m sure he can go far in The Chance and beyond.” 

The 99 players joining Joe in the UK finals will be chosen by a nationwide network of scouts with the help of The Chance Facebook app. This will allow teams to enrol themselves on a shortlist and those that generate the most Facebook activity will receive a visit from the customised 4×4 that Nike will be using as a mobile scouting unit.

Rio will welcome the 100 finalists to Manchester for 2 days of rigorous assessment which will see the players work under elite-level coaches, rub shoulders with the Manchester United squad and enjoy the facilities and training analysis usually reserved for top flight players.

15 players will progress from the UK Final to the Super Finals, a crunch match at Carrington, Manchester United’s training ground. They will play under Rio’s watchful eye, as he will be heading up the panel of coaches and scouts that will select the 3 UK players who will be sent to Barcelona for the Global Finals. 

Before they depart, however, Rio will spend a week mentoring them on Rio’s BootCamp – they will not only enjoy one on one sessions with Manchester United athletes and coaches, but also experience the off-pitch lifestyle of a Premier League star. 

The Chance has an impressive track record – two of last year’s winners, Tobi Amokeodo and Titi Accam are playing full-time in the Premier League-affiliated Nike Academy, whilst a third, Tom Rogic, has recently signed a contract with Central Coast Mariners, an Australian A-League club. 

Rio is looking forward to unearthing similarly talented individuals over the coming months: “I remember how desperate I was to be a professional football when I was a teenager, and we’re looking for not only the most talented but also the most hungry young players in the game. It’s always exciting to see fresh talent break through, so I can’t wait to be a part of making that happen.” 

For more information about The Chance, visit www.nikefootball.com.

For those who do get lucky enough to take part in this please do let us know how you get on by writing on our Twitter and Facebook pages!