NEWCASTLE'S greatest footballer Craig Johnston has given a ringing endorsement to the proposed $11 million regional football headquarters planned at Speers Point Park.
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Johnston grew up at Speers Point and played junior football for Lake Macquarie before moving to England and starring for Liverpool.
Johnston said Speers Point was a nursery for football talent.
"It's a prime area for it, always has been," Johnston, 52, said.
He has offered to help Northern NSW Football design the facility, which is planned to include two full-sized synthetic fields, 10 five-a-side courts and a multipurpose centre.
Johnston designed similar projects in England, working with the British government.
"I've developed a system of 3D grids for dribbling, passing, heading, shooting and touch, control, feel," he said.
"You could waste a lot of money on something everybody else has, but I'd like to help them build something extraordinary."
Johnston said Speers Point was an "idyllic place" for growing up and playing football.
"Never a day would pass where we weren't playing soccer, surfing or jumping off the old pier at Speers Point," he said.
Johnston, who lives in Florida, would like to return home and work on a football project. His parents and sister live in Lake Macquarie.
"I've been looking for a place to house the Johnston Academy and transfer my knowledge and expertise," Johnston said.
"Speers Point would be ideal."
Northern NSW Football chief executive David Eland said concept drawings had been done for the project, but the "next step is the intricate design".
"With a guy like Craig's pedigree and experience in the game, we'd be mad not to have a discussion with him," Mr Eland said.
Northern NSW Football will provide $4 million for the project and Lake Macquarie City Council will seek the rest from the NSW government.
