World cup glory and homelessness are not always easy bedfellows.

But homeless people in east Kent could soon have the chance to turn themselves into a Moore, Hurst or Stiles as they try to win the ultimate prize for their country - at the Homeless Football World Cup.

People who use homeless charity Porchlight – which has accommodation projects in Canterbury, Ashford, Dover and Ramsgate - will be going for trials for the competition being held in Milan at Tottenham Hotspur FC in February.

~Listen: Porchlight's young person’s activity worker Richard Barnard tells how the football trials give homeless people confidence>>>

Trials will also take place elsewhere in the country, culminating in monthly trials at Manchester United’s youth and community training academy from which a final squad of eight will be chosen.

Porchlight’s young person’s activity worker Richard Barnard said: “We have been very fortunate recently in securing good partnerships locally with clubs like Charlton Athletic.

“With the help of Charlton Athletic Community Scheme Solution we have been able to give our young service users a much need avenue in sport.

“The World Cup gives our service users the chance to show off their skills at a professional club with professional coaches. Football and sport in general can be a very useful trigger for people to become empowered to change their lives for the better.”

Porchlight chief executive Mike Barrett said: “Changing attitudes and lives is integral to everything Porchlight does. The Homeless World Cup is an excellent opportunity to highlight the issue of homelessness globally and promote social inclusion of the most vulnerable and excluded members of our communities.”

Teams from Argentina, Australia, South Africa, Portugal, Cameroon, Brazil and Germany will feature in the competition along with England.

The trials were organised by Big Issue North with a number of Premiership and Championship football clubs. For more information visit www.homelessworldcup.org.

How to enter

To qualify for trials for the Homeless Football World Cup you must have been either:

- Homeless or vulnerably accommodated at some point after December 1 2008.

- In rehabilitation and have been homeless at some point since October 1 2008

- An asylum seeker currently without positive asylum status or previously an asylum seeker but obtained residency status after December 1 2007.