Hunting Lions is Possee's new goal

Millwall have agreed to establish an academy in Canada to nurture the cream of the country's football talent.

Former Lions striker Derek Possee will run the set-up in the province of British Colombia with the aim of developing players for Millwall's first team.

The academy will also be a finishing school for the club's best young English-based players while the most talented Canadian youngsters will earn a place at their set-up in Bromley.

The scheme will be kickstarted in July, when the FA Cup finalists travel to British Columbia for a three-game pre-season tour.

"Canadian football at senior level is not great but it is growing massively at grassroots level, " said a Millwall spokesman. "Our tour will generate a fair bit of interest out there."

For many years Millwall have had a close relationship with Irish junior club Belvedere, which produced Mark Kennedy, Kenny Cunningham and Robbie Ryan, but this will be the first time they have established an academy abroad.

"We're looking for a similar type of relationship and hopefully a similar return in terms of quality of players," added the spokesman.

Player-manager Dennis Wise is "very keen" on the academy, which is the brainchild of Millwall great Possee, who now lives in Vancouver and is head coach at the British Columbia Football Association.

A Millwall spokesman said: " Derek Possee approached us to see if we could get some sort of exchange programme going. From their point of view some of their best young players could get some coaching over here and find out what sort of standard they would need to reach to play topflight football.

"From our point of view, we will have great access to the best young players in Canada." The idea of the academy has been warmly welcomed by Wise, assistant manager Ray Wilkins and chairman Theo Paphitis.

"They are all very keen and it has gone from there," added the spokesman.

Possee scored 87 goals for Millwall-during the late 1960s and early 1970s, third only to Teddy Sheringham and Neil Harris in the club's list of leading goalscorers. He is delighted to be involved again with the club where he made his name.

"We're very much looking forward to Dennis and Ray bringing the first team out to British Columbia in the summer. It will be a great week of preparation for Millwall and a boost for the game out there, hosting the FA Cup finalists," said Possee.

"This, I'm sure will be the start of a special relationship, with hopefully other visits to follow including some of the Academy sides."

Millwall senior scout David Tuttle added: "I've been out there and looked at the set-up which is very professionally run by Derek.

"He will effectively be our north American scout. We'll be seeing him regularly over here and I'll be going there on a regular basis too.

"Dennis, Ray and the chairman have been fully involved all the way, and we're very excited about the possibilites it offers both us and the British Columbians."

It will be a boost to the seventh-placed Lions as they bid to get their play-off bid back on track against Watford tonight after failing to win all four games since their semi-final success over Sunderland.

Wise selects from a fully fit squad apart from long-term absentee Kevin Muscat , although key midfielder Tim Cahill plays his last match before starting a two-game suspension.

Watford, who need one more win to ensure First Division safety, will again line up with Chris Baird in defence after he extended his month-long loan deal from Southampton until the end of the season.