Fulham are forging closer ties with the Nike academy.

Fulham's Academy have a break from competitive action today when they take on the Nike Academy U19 side in a friendly at Motspur Park.

The Academy aims to nurture the talent of the players they take on and maximise their potential to increase the chance of them being signed to a League club.

The friendly was set up by Fulham Academy Director Huw Jennings who holds an identical position with the Nike Academy.

"I'm effectively a consultant to the programme," Jennings told fulhamfc.com. "It's a project designed to give second chance opportunities to players from 18 years of age, those who had either been released from professional clubs or who are on the cusp of getting an opportunity at a professional club."