Manchester United has launched a new initiative to increase its engagement with local schools and grassroots clubs across Manchester and the North West of England.

The Emerging Talent Programme will operate as a link between local communities and curriculum-based charitable work undertaken by the Manchester United Foundation and the club’s elite youth academy.

The club's youth academy is widely recognised as among the best in professional football for identifying and developing talented players – and has been credited with nurturing players such as Ryan Giggs and David Beckham.

The new programme will look to widen the reach of the academy, by delivering a range of projects to identify talented footballers across the region. The most talented ones will then be offered the opportunity to attend a structured development programme at the club’s Emerging Talent Centre.

Over the next three years, the Premier League club aims to engage with more than 20,000 children and young people through a range of activities by focusing on three main areas – schools, grassroots clubs and its own Emerging Talent Centre.

The initiative will see all 900 primary schools and 400 secondary/high schools across Greater Manchester being offered the opportunity to participate in tournaments and football festivals hosted by the Emerging Talent Department.

In parallel to the school activities, the Emerging Talent Programme will strengthen its relationship with grassroots clubs across Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Yorkshire, by supporting recruitment coverage and bridging the gap between grassroots and elite football.

This will see a minimum of 300 grassroots teams attending tournaments/festivals per year, while a minimum of 50 grassroots clubs will receive on-site visits per year.

Alongside activations based in schools grassroots clubs, United will run an Emerging Talent Centre for 44 weeks of the year, based at the AON Training Complex, which will offer a high-quality development programme for talented footballers.

“We are committed to our presence and activity within our local community in Manchester and beyond," said Nick Cox, head of academy for Manchester United.

"The new Emerging Talent programme enables us to radically increase the number of schools, grassroots clubs and communities that we interact with across Manchester and the North West, allowing us to create a wider coaching network with better exposure to local footballing talent.

"As well as identifying talent, we aim to give young people that are passionate about football an opportunity to have an experience of Manchester United.

"We’re aware of our responsibility to enrich the local football community by sharing resources and knowledge.

"Over the next three years, we aim to engage with over 20,000 children and young people (boys and girls) through a range of positive activities via schools and grassroots clubs. The aim is to increase their love of football and give them further opportunities to continue playing the game.”