BURNLEY are breaking new ground by becoming the first Premier League club to launch a global, open talent search for young players by using artificial intelligence.

New owners ALK Capital have moved quickly to put their specialist stamp on the club by introducing this new technology, which is aimed at identifying the next generation of football stars, as part of a new partnership with talent identification platform AiSCOUT.

And new Burnley chairman Alan Pace is hopeful that it will help to provide an opportunity for budding footballers who have been hampered by a lack of playing opportunities during the coronavirus pandemic to still showcase their talents.

While any youngster can upload their performance for free using the AiSCOUT mobile app, exceptional footballers identified through the app will be invited to attend a formal academy trials day later this year, with the chance for eligible players to earn a place in the Clarets' youth system.

The app enables footballers over the age of 14 to try out for the Burnley Academy through undertaking specific football drills carried out in their own location and filmed using a mobile phone.

The drills will be compared against other players using AiSCOUT’s artificial intelligence capabilities, which allows scouts to find, analyse, score, rate, benchmark and identify players’ technical, athletic, cognitive and psychometric ability.

Pace said: “This is a first opportunity for us to introduce new data-led technologies into the football club and promote Burnley to the wider football world by giving aspirational young players across the world an opportunity. We look forward to expanding the programme throughout 2021.

“With the pandemic currently leading a suspension of youth football in Lancashire and across the UK, this trial represents an open and inclusive opportunity for football players to complete a set of drills in

their own environment that could end with them being scouted by a Premier League club.”

Jon Pepper, Burnley F.C. Academy Manager said: “We’re delighted to partner with AiSCOUT and this represents an exciting opportunity to expand our academy scouting network beyond Burnley and benefit from cutting edge technology.

“I look forward to welcoming a selection of young players to the Barnfield Training Centre later in the year, assessing the talent on offer and hopefully ending the search by offering a place on our academy to a player with the talent to follow their dreams into the Premier League.”

Darren Peries, Founder & CEO of AiSCOUT said: “This is the first time a Premier League Club will undertake an open, public trial via the AiSCOUT app.

"We’re delighted to be supporting a global talent search with Burnley F.C. and demonstrating the revolutionary capabilities of AiSCOUT.”

Alan Pace, chairman of Burnley F.C. said: “This is a first opportunity for us to introduce new data-led technologies and promote Burnley to the wider football world by giving aspirational young players across the world an opportunity.”

AiSCOUT’s Head of Football Gareth Hall, a former Chelsea player and Wales international, along with Founder & CEO of AiSCOUT Darren Peries are both available for interview on request to talk about the new technology and its introduction at Burnley F.C.