Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has teamed up with the Premier League and The National Literacy Trust to launch an initiative to encourage children to read more books.

The 35-year-old, who has his own series of children's books, has joined the Reading Stars programme, which helps use children's passion for football to motivate them to read.

"Reading should be a pleasure no matter what age you are, and Premier League Reading Stars is a proven way of getting children to enjoy books," the Premier League's official website quotes Lampard as saying.

"It's very easy for young people to get distracted by computer games and television but the importance of getting children to enjoy reading was the inspiration behind my own books. Whether you're reading with your kids or just enjoying a good book on your own it's a wonderful experience and one of life's great pleasures."

Each Premier League club will select one player to talk about their favourite books and create reading challenges online.