Miller: The kind of player Leeds may be looking to find (RossKinnaird/Allsport)

Soccernet can reveal that former St Mirren talentspotter Joe Hughes has been recruited on a lucrative package by the Premiership club's director of football Brian Kidd to assess the viability of a training centre north of the border.

Sources in Yorkshire suggested that former Celtic captain Paul McStay has also been consulted over plans to spend up to £3million on a fully-equipped academy aimed at mining an emerging seam of talent in this country.

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale admitted that Glasgow is just one of a network of venues across the UK being considered by the cash-rich English club as a possibility for a new centre of excellence.

Ridsdale told Soccernet: 'This is something I cannot say too much about because you would have to talk to David O'Leary about scouting and the plans we have but what we are trying to do is look at the possibility of establishing academies all over the UK and in that context we would be interested in formulating something in Glasgow.'

The existing Leeds academy has been an outstanding success, producing the likes of Australian international Harry Kewell, England defender Jonathan Woodgate and Leicester's new £3m replacement for Neil Lennon, Matthew Jones.

Established by current English FA technical director Howard Wilkinson, the arrival at Leeds of Kidd - the perceived mastermind behind Manchester United's conveyor belt of young talent - has provoked ambitious new plans from England's biggestspending club.

On the day when East Fife's Steve Ferguson joined Tottenham in a £250,000 deal, the news of a possible new Premiership invasion was also a hammer blow to non-SPL clubs, many of whom depend upon uncovering potential stars for survival.

However, Celtic head youth coach Willie McStay warned the Premiership giants that the Old Firm will not readily stand aside and allow incomers to rampage across the Old Firm's patch.

The elder brother of Paul McStay said: 'This is nothing new in so much as the kids Celtic and Rangers have been interested in have always been tracked by the big English clubs.

'But if Leeds or any of the others set up here then they will have to be prepared to spend vast amounts of money, as we do. You also have to ask what kind of system would it be?

'Would they have full-time coaches, top facilities, a proper set-up? Time will tell.'