Keighley coach Chris Cousins, who runs an American company that helps talented footballers to be scouted and placed in the US College system, is finally getting the chance to run a trial in his hometown.

Sports Recruiting USA are heading down to Marley next Sunday (October 8) from 1pm-5pm, as young talents from the ages of 15 to 21 get the chance to show off their skills, and potentially change their lives forever, at a free, open trial.

You can sign up for the trial via the embedded link.

Cousins told the Keighley News: “I started the business up 12 years ago, and we hold trials all around the world, there’s one in Dubai later this month for example.

“But even though we’ve done one in Skipton before, we’d never done one in Keighley, even though it’s where myself and (colleague) Danny Riley are from.

“The young players can get a good career out of this, as the college system is very good, and we’ve had loads of lads come through our system that have gone out there and some have even played in the MLS.

“They’ll normally go out there after sixth-form, but we look to start the process a couple of years earlier, so the ideal age group is 15-17, but we open it up up to the age of 21.”

Asked why it means so much to run this company, Cousins said: “The whole point of it is because we all want to be a professional footballer, but the odds are so low.

“This can push lads to a high level like the MLS and USL and we also have clubs in the UK looking at them.

“They might not have been ready at 18, but they may flourish after that. Even if they don’t make it at professional level in the end, they still get a degree out of it.”

Keighley News: Action from a trial day at Sports Recruiting USA.Action from a trial day at Sports Recruiting USA. (Image: Sports Recruiting USA.)

Talking about some of the stars of the programme, Cousins said: “We have Max Broughton on our books for example, who used to be England’s Under-17s captain.

“He’s gone out, been looked at by the MLS, has shown his best form in the USA and is now finishing up there, and that’s put him on the radar of a number of clubs.

“Eliot Goldthorp is another one of ours, who was released by Bradford City as a youngster. He’s on the radar of clubs in the US after going out there, but also of some back at home.

“I’ve spoken to City about him for example and they are monitoring him.

“Jack Harrison is the poster boy of going out to the USA at a young age, as he’s gone on to make it in the Premier League.

“The talent is out there, all over the world, and word has spread about what we do now.

“Our staff all used to be in England but now 70 per cent of our business is out in the US, so that’s where most of our staff are.”

Keighley News: There are a whole host of coaches at the company, many of whom are based in the States.There are a whole host of coaches at the company, many of whom are based in the States. (Image: Sports Recruiting USA.)

Cousins is not, as he lives in Skipton, and he explained: “There was nothing like this around when I went to coach in the US in 2004.

“I got spotted and was asked what I planned to do next.

“I had wanted to start university back home in England but a coach persuaded me to stay out there, so suddenly the coaching became for more than just a summer.

“I didn’t come back here until around 2008 or 2009, then I started the company up in 2010.”

Asked what he hopes to achieve with the Marley trial, Cousins said: “There’s good talent anywhere and you’ve got a big catchment area in Keighley.

“But people may not venture out of there into the big cities and if they’re off the beaten track a little, they may not get scouted.

“That’s sad, as there are decent lads out there that sometimes just need a push.”