Former Manchester United scout and Right to Dream Academy founder, Tom Vernon, is urging Ghana’s government to implement a national talent identification strategy to develop athletes across various sports.

Ghana's performance has declined in recent years at major events, including the Africa Cup of Nations and the Olympic Games.

Speaking on the JoySports National Dialogue - a thought-leadership program focused on shaping the future of Ghanaian sports - Vernon emphasized the abundance of talent in the country and the need for a structured approach to harness it.

"There is nothing I can do without the performance of Ghana's talented youth," Tom said.

"Ghana has the potential to move from a natural resource based economy to a talent based economy.

"The starting point is to develop a national talent identification strategy but also a global talent identification strategy.

"We lose a lot of our sons and daughters to other countries so we need to start with the identification of our youth and beyond, be much more proactive in recruiting the most talented Ghanaians in the diaspora."

For 25 years, Tom founded and run the Right to Dream Football Academy as chief executive.

Under his leadership, the academy grew to accommodate three other academies and professional clubs in Denmark, Egypt, and America.