SOUTHERN League South & West club AFC Totton have entered into a partnership with Matt Le Tissier's football academy.
The Stags, currently 11th in the league, will link up with Matt Le Tissier Natural Coaching (MLT Natural Coaching) from the start of next season.
MLT Natural Coaching will manage the AFC Totton U16s and will feed players from their ccademy into the squad. From the 2017-18 season, both manager and players from the U16s will move into AFC Totton U18s with a new manager and players coming into the U16s from the academy.
The Totton U16s side will be managed next season by former Southampton and West Brom defender Pele, who serves as MLT Natural Coaching's community head coach.
Totton chairman Andy Straker said: “This is an excellent opportunity for both club and academy. It will give young football players a real opportunity to learn and grow as footballers while at the same time having an avenue into a semi-professional football club.
“We are very proud that MLT Natural Coaching believe that AFC Totton has the abilities and facilities needed to take players from their academy and take them forward into their playing careers.
“We look forward to working with MLT Natural Coaching. We know it will be successful for both organisations but most of all, successful for the future football players in the Totton and Southampton area.”
Le Tissier added: “This is an exciting partnership for MLT Natural Coaching to enter into, many thanks to AFC Totton for giving our boys a chance of a natural progression into local football and we look forward to working with them for many years to come and helping them grow stronger as a club.”
