Liverpool Football Club can today confirm it will compete against some of Europe's top clubs in a Champions League-style U19s tournament which starts in 2011-12.
Sixteen clubs including Barcelona and Inter Milan have confirmed their involvement in The Nextgen Series - a six-month format which allows the continent's top young footballers to compete against each other week in, week out for the first time.
Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, PSV, Celtic and Sporting Lisbon will also take part.
Sanctioned by UEFA and the FA, the tournament has been established to help Europe's best teenagers make the transition from youth football to senior level.
Four groups of four teams will battle it out home and away from August, with the top two progressing to the knockout stages which begin in January.
The tournament is the brainchild of ex-pro and former Watford Academy manager Mark Warburton and TV producer Justin Andrews.
Warburton said: "The Nextgen Series will provide a cognitive learning environment for players to experience how best to cope with the pressures of top-level football."
Organizers believe young players will benefit from travelling abroad and facing new styles of play, as well as being officiated by top referees and having to deal with media interest.
Clubs confirmed include Barcelona, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Marseille, Sporting Lisbon, Wolfsburg, Molde, PSV, Celtic, FC Basel, Fenerbahce and Rosenborg.
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