TALENTED young footballers are being given the best possible chance of fulfilling their dreams thanks to support from Brighton and Hove Albion’s official charity.

Albion in the Community runs a talent hub on behalf of the FA aimed at junior players who have cerebral palsy, a hearing impairment or who are partially-sighted.

The hub provides regular expert coaching to promising young players with a view to producing potential future internationals across a number of disability-specific competitions.

They are a key part of AITC’s commitment to ensuring people with a disability are given the opportunity to play football at whatever level is best-suited to the player.

This could be it social inclusive clubs, elite player development sessions or teams that compete locally, regionally or nationally.

Players at the FA talent hub train twice a month and play regular fixtures, predominantly against junior teams from within mainstream football.

Sessions are futsal-based and run by qualified coaches with an experience delivering sessions for people with a disability.

Eight players from the talent hub have already been accepted onto the FA’s regional emerging talent programme, which represents the next step along a national talent pathway that ends with the England teams.

And the success of the AITC talent hub is not limited to just the players. AITC coaches Chris Day and Sal Issa have also impressed, with both invited to oversee the FA’s 7-11 age-group at regional training camps.

Paul Brackley, AITC’s disability manager, said: “This is the third year in which we have been commissioned by the FA to deliver regional talent programmes and it something everyone at the charity is particularly proud of.

“Providing disabled people with the chance to develop their skills in an appropriate and supportive environment is something we feel very strongly about at AITC.

“There is more than one future international among them.”