Dean Sylvester wants to “increase opportunities for lads in the area” with the founding of a new Under-13 team, Harlesden Hawks.

The club will kick off in the new season, in a bid to boost the community spirit within Harlesden and help youngsters in the area.

Sylvester, who is an ex semi-professional, spending some time with Luton Town and Chelsea in his youth, is keen to stress how much talent comes out of Harlesden and the surrounding areas, highlighted by the emergence of Yannick Bolasie (pictured) for Crystal Palace last season as one of the most exciting players in the Premier League.

Bolasie, 26, grew up in Harlesden and is now on the radar of Spurs and Liverpool, having worked his way up from from non-league Hillingdon Borough to playing in the Football League for Plymouth Argyle, Barnet and Bristol City before joining Palace in 2012.

Sylvester said: “I’m still in touch with Yannick and I’m going to try and get him to come down. He’s a big role model for the kids, and a great example of why you should never give up.

“He trained and trained to get a club, it wasn’t always easy for him and he showed huge desire to get where he wanted, and that’s exactly the message I want to spread.”

Sylvester, who currently works as a learning mentor/PE coach at Leopold Primary School, wants to encourage the diverse mix of families within Harlesden to unite through the club: “There are both middle and lower class families here; we want to encourage them to train for minimal cost.

“We want them to play football without money being an issue, which I know it can be. Working in a school, I understand that education comes first, but if I can interlink the club to the school, it could really help get the community involved.

“I’m excited because there’s so much to put out there, it’s not so much about the success of the club, but the involvement of the community. We won’t judge anybody and we can all learn from each other.”

Trials will take place at Willesden Sports Centre on Sunday, June 21. For more information contact Dean at harlesdenhawksfc@gmail.com.