Shilton Paul. (TOI Photo)

KOLKATA: Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Shilton Paul is all set to launch a football academy very soon. The academy will be called Shilton Paul Football Academy and it will be launched at the Yuba Sangha ground in Machhalandapur, which is about one and half hour away from Kolkata.

The date for the launch of the academy has not been finalized yet but it will tentatively be on March 1.

Shilton Paul also has had meetings with certain organizations to support his project and he is hopeful of striking a deal very soon.

The Shilton Paul Football Academy will be non-residential and will initially have three licensed coaches on its roster. Youngsters who are five years old or more can enroll at the academy. Shilton being a goalkeeper it is no surprise that there will be a specialized section on goalkeeping. "Whenever I will get time, I will surely visit the academy. I will help in the coaching and also try to encourage the players," said Shilton Paul.

A graduate of the Tata Football Academy , Shilton Paul has been part of the green and maroons for well over a decade now. After the launch of his academy in Machhalandapur, the custodian also intends to launch branches of the academy in other parts of the state.

"I may have an academy in Kolkata in the future but my aim is to have branches of the academy in other parts of Bengal so that youngsters from those places can benefit from the academy," said Shilton Paul, who was the captain of Mohun Bagan when the Kolkata side clinched the I-League title in the 2014-15 season.

