BLACKBURN Rovers' football business training scheme has proved so successful that it will be extended across the country and adopted by all Premier League football clubs.

Rovers' business academy, which teaches children the skills central to running a football club, has been praised by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

It will now be imitated up and down the country under plans to extend football enterprise initiatives.

Aston Villa and Manchester City have already confirmed they will be the next clubs to introduce the community programme which teaches 13 and 14-year-olds about business planning and finance of a football club.

Gill Kinloch, Blackburn Rovers' head of community affairs, said: "This is a great example of the use of the power of football to make a positive contribution towards social and economic regeneration.

"Our enterprise programmes offer a unique opportunity to engage young people in a positive way to ultimately open up new avenues of life chances."