BEIJING - Legendary German footballer Oliver Kahn is to launch a reality TV show in China Thursday in a bid to find the nation's best young goalkeeper, state media said.

Nicknamed "King Kahn" for his presence on the pitch and voted the world's best goalkeeper three times, Kahn will start off with a group of young keepers aged between 17 and 24 in his 10-part series, the China Daily reported.

The 40-year-old will eventually pick the best goalkeeper among the group, which includes two women, and the winner will be enrolled at the German Football Association's elite training academy, giving them a chance to launch a professional career.

An online schedule for Heilongjiang TV, the station on which the show will be aired nationwide, confirmed the programme would be shown on Thursday evening but gave no further details.

Kahn was quoted as saying it would reflect "the importance of individuality and personality but most of all, how the contestants handle defeat."

China is a country of football lovers - a passion often dashed by the poor performance of the men's national team that ranks 98th in the FIFA rankings, behind the Cape Verde Islands and Iceland.

Kahn played for Germany and European giants Bayern Munich, winning a large haul of trophies and awards, including the Golden Ball award for best player at the 2002 World Cup.

The paper did not say how much money he would be paid for taking part in the show.