Former Football League striker Francois Zoko is to lead Newark Football Club's education-based academy

A football club in Newark has launched its own educational academy, which will be led by former Football League striker Francois Zoko.

Sixteen to 19-year-old students have the opportunity to attain BTEC levels one to three in sport, ultimately leading to a Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science, through Newark Football Club’s new educational academy.

The teaching will be done on-site at Lowfields, where the club’s senior side plays its home matches.

It will be fronted by Newark’s 36-year-old player-coach Zoko, who joined the club weeks before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Chairman Gary Clarke said: “Francois has been fundamental in establishing the foundations for and defining the structure and framework of Newark Football Club’s academy.

“The classroom learning will be provided by an educational provider, who will run the BTEC, and Francois will be coaching the players.

“It is for students who have just left school and are looking for the next step, and it is something that is exciting for all of us at the club.

“We have the jubilee room, which is a large space and has everything we need for the first year of schooling, and as we move forward we will look at prefab classrooms or potentially even building permanent classrooms.

“Hopefully, it is the start of something really big, not just for the club, but for the town.

“We are taking things slowly and ensuring that the players directly below the educational side of things also have targeted coaching.

“The plan is to align their coaching and their sessions with the ones for the academy, so the players can have a continued development from age 14 and 15.”

Francois, who will deliver the coaching, has a UEFA B Licence, and has the experience of more than 500 football matches under his belt, including international appearances for Ivory Coast at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

“He will be working to integrate the existing junior and youth football teams into a clear and structured player improvement programme,” said Clarke.

“The vision for the academy is to enable young people to gain a meaningful qualification and allow their personal progression and to provide a clear pathway for young players to transition from junior and youth football, to senior football, and to challenge for a first team start.”

The application process is open via academy@newarkfootball.club, with interviews and trials being arranged over the course of the next few weeks, once the lockdown restrictions permit.

You Can Do Sport, based in Newark, also runs its own educational football academy.