Chelsea Football Club hope to unearth the next John Terry, Joe Cole or Frank Lampard by conducting a Pop Idol-style nationwide search for a teenage unknown.
And manager Jose Mourinho is to decide who will be the lucky winner of the reality TV show who will land a professional contract with the Premiership champions.
Mourinho said: "Not every young player is spotted through the normal process. Here is an opportunity for someone who may have been missed to come to Chelsea.
"This also shows that Chelsea is not just about the top players signing for big money. We are open to anyone who is good enough.
"We want our academy to be a breeding ground for first team talent and if we can find someone through Football Icon, either in England or around the world, then that will be fantastic."
The show is open to players born between September 1, 1987 and January 1, 1989 - trials begin next month with regional heats in Manchester, the West Midlands and London.
A 12-strong shortlist will be invited to Chelsea's football academy and will spend the summer undergoing tests and trials at the club's Surrey training headquarters.
The eight-part TV series will be screened in the autumn and each week viewers will see one hopeful eliminated by the club's coaches.
Three will make it through to the final where Mourinho and his team will decide the winner, who will then sign a contract to join the club's academy.
ITV
