A Spanish Armada is ready to set sail for Scotland.

However, it will not consist of ships, filled with sailors intent on grabbing our treasure.

This force will, instead, consist of young footballers, desperate to enhance our game and get a springboard to the riches on offer in English football.

The man behind the ambitious scheme is Spanish lawyer, Jose Luiz Martinez Hens.

He believes he has spotted an opportunity which will not only be beneficial to the game in this country as skilful young players would augment the standard in all the divisions, but also provide the much-needed access point frustrated kids can't get in his homeland.

However, despite the fact Hens insists the youngsters could be recruited for as little as £350 per week, he has been met with a wall of indifference and suspicion, and is genuinely bemused.

It was the same when he attempted to offer ex-Malaga and Real Betis coach, Antonio Tapia, for consideration when Inverness and Hibs were looking for new managers at the turn of the year.

Despite his track record, Tapia could not even get an interview.

Hens believes he is being thwarted by a culture of insularity and a fear that his proposals appear to good to be true.

"I'm not a known person here," admitted the man who has been in Scotland for the past year.

"People know there is talent in Spanish football and good players and coaches, but they don't think Scotland has a chance of getting some of this.It's like a strange type of inferiority complex."

If clubs were prepared to open their minds, and their eyes, Hens is convinced they would reap rich rewards.

He said: "I have 30 decent players who are ready to come here for trials this summer to get average salaries.

"They know Scotland will be the window to England."

Hens is aware Scottish football has had a taste of Iberian imports in the past, most notably when Victor joined St Mirren along with former Barcelona striker Steve Archibald in 1991.

Archibald later brought a group of players over from Spain when he spent £2million to take over Airdrie in 2000.

But in recent years, spotting Spaniards in the Scottish game has proved to be more of a challenge.

Given the status the Spanish game now holds, and the tough economic times their clubs are facing, which is leading to reductions in playing squads, Hens believes the moment is right to reconnect the link.

He reckons just getting a couple of players over will open the floodgates and said: "That's why I'm trying to bring players here at a lower level, because the SPFL Championship is going to be very good this year.

"It's not going to be that expensive. They're going to cost the same as players cost here.

"In La Liga, after the likes of Seville, Athletic Bilbao, Spanish don't have money.

"Football in Spain is going to collapse because of the economy."

Hens believes his import plan will be a win-win situation for everyone, including Scottish players.

"In a squad of 25, if you have one Spanish player, it's going to help them for sure," he claimed.

"We have had this experience with the kid we have at Airdrie United, Stefan Bjekovic.

"He's a Spanish/Serbian and has done very well. Everyone loves him now.

"Recently, I had another player here for two weeks. He comes from the Seville Academy and will be a good second striker.

"He is a typical Spanish player, like Silva, Mata, small and very fast.

"He trained at Morton, and Kenny Shiels told me to bring him back at the end of June. But, of course, Kenny is not there now.

"Gary Bollan, the Airdrionians manager, also said he is strong and competitive and told me he can go to a Championship-level club.

"I also attempted to get him into Partick Thistle for training, but they had too much going on at the end of the season as they fought to avoid relegation."

Hens continued: "The kind of players who can come here are 20-21, and have been through a good club academy, like Seville, Real Betis and Malaga, somewhere like that.

"They are good enough, but do not have the chance to go to the first team in Spain, for whatever reason. If they come here at that age, they have a big future. They are in the prime of their footballing life.

"They are very good players, because they were in the youth academies of these clubs.

"They just want an opportunity. And their parents are not resistant to them coming here because the Scottish education system is also fantastic. This is another attraction for many of them at this age."

Perhaps if Hens could find an opening for Tapia, the flow of these eager and available players from Spain would finally get going.

But the man who has taking Malaga from the second tier to the top five in La Liga on his CV, is finding it tough to sell himself here.

Tapia's name has again been submitted for consideration at Easter Road as Hibs seek a replacement for Terry Butcher.

But Hens recalls how tough it is just to get his man's foot in the door - even with renowned journalist Guillem Balague ready to make a career change to be his No.2.

"Inverness was a good chance for Tapia," said Hens as he reflected on their application to replace Butcher when he left the Highlands in November.

"Suddenly, Guillem Balague offered to come along as his assistant.

"That was not a publicity stunt. Guillem had finished his book on Lionel Messi and was at the top of his journalistic career, but he has just completed his A licence as a coach. It was a great opportunity for two people at the top of their professions to come together.

"We went to Liverpool to meet with Guillem, but there was not the chance to present ourselves to Inverness. They did not even reply to us."

So determined was he to find out why someone with Tapia's record was being met by nothing but closed doors, Hens contacted a director of lowly Alloa when Paul Hartley left to enquire if they would like to speak to his man.

"I was told: 'Sorry, we already have three men lined up,'" he revealed.

"Despite this, Tapia still wants to come to work in Scotland or England.

"He knows he is going to get less money here, but just wants to show what he can do.

"Tapia really likes the passion people have for football in Scotland, and the philosophy of football is much nicer than in Spain.

"Also, you go to Kilmarnock and see the date 1869 above the door. You go to Morton and it's similar.

"Everywhere here it seems to be 18 something, and that is good."