Ravenscraig Sports Centre will host the fourth annual Scottish FA Primary 7 Football Festival this weekend, with over 350 young players from professional clubs facing each other over two days.

The festival allows Scottish FA coaches the chance to observe potential new pupils for the 2015/16 academic session for the Scottish FA Regional Performance Schools.

Neil Mackintosh, Performance Development Manager at the Scottish FA, said: “The festival lets us see some of the best players together in one place over the course of a weekend so that we can continue our Talent ID process for the Performance School intake in August 2015.

“This event is a highlight of the year for us. We get to see some fantastic players who will have the potential to join us at a Performance School in the coming year."

18 pupils from the programme have already received call-ups to Scotland National Youth Team squads, with a number of players who were part of the first ever Performance School intake set to feature in this year’s under-15 squad.

Neil said: “It’s amazing to think that, since we started the process three years ago that we would now have eight Performance School players representing their country at Under-15 level against the Republic of Ireland next week."

“It is a privilege to be part of their journey so far, and it is exciting to think that this weekend is the start of many these player’s journey.”

To apply, young players entering S1 in August 2015 should visit www.scottishfa.co.uk/performance

The deadline for applications for pro club players is 1st February, and for recreational club players it is 15th February.

Healthy energy drink Little Big Shot is the title sponsor of the Regional Performance School Programme and the prestigious Youth Cup www.littlebigshot.com