Former England soccer player Trevor Brooking was today searching for the sports stars of tomorrow in Bradford - and hoping to build bridges along the way.

Mr Brooking, now a football pundit for the BBC, comes to Bradford in his capacity as chairman of Sport England (formerly the Sports Council), to see for himself the sporting progress being made in the city.

Together with Sport England chief executive, Derek Casey, he will visit schools where sporting facilities are being improved, learn about the city's new sports action zone and speak to representatives from Bradford City and Bradford Bulls.

But Gerry Sutcliffe, the Labour Bradford South MP who organised the visit, also hopes that bridges can be built during a meeting with councillors and Bradford Council chief executive, Ian Stewart.

"We had had some difficulties in the relationship between Sport England and the local authority," he said.

The organisation had turned projects down for funding because, although the Council had offered land, there had been a lack of financial support.

Mr Sutcliffe said he had now written to the authority asking it to set aside money for community sport projects.

But Councillor Anne Hawks-worth, Executive Member for the Environment, said there had been 16 successful bids that had won cash from Sport England, including a scheme in Ben Rhydding.

One particular bid had not been successful, she said, but she did not believe the Council's input was connected with its failure.

"The council is only too happy and available to advise groups when they make bids," she said.

Mr Sutcliffe said the visit by Sport England was an opportunity to show the sporting innovation that is taking place in Bradford. "We are seen as a city with a lot of sporting expertise right form the grassroots through to the two professional clubs."

Bradford Bulls chairman Chris Caisley said the day would give the club a chance to show off its award-winning work in the community and to bring Sport England's attention to the plans for a new stadium at Odsal.