Tottenham Hotspur and Epping Forest College have joined forces to provide a course which combines academic study with elite football coaching.

A total of 40 male students, aged between 16 and 19, have enrolled on the programme.

A permanent team of FA qualified staff from the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation will coach the students for up to 10 hours a week.

They will also study for a BTEC qualification or A-levels, with the opportunity to continue onto a degree foundation in sports development and coaching.

Grant Cornwell, head of global coaching for The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, said: “It’s not just about football. In today’s world the focus has to be on getting qualifications, and this programme aligns academic study with sport.”

Penny Morgan, the principal at Epping Forest College, said: “The partnership has opened up excellent opportunities that will allow us to make a real difference in the lives of our learners.”

The foundation already runs a similar scheme in colleges across the country, including Waltham Forest College in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

An open event for anyone interested in the course will be held between 10am and 1pm at Epping Forest College in Borders Lane, Loughton, on November 8.