Darryn Lyons, the controversial former paparazzo who was elected mayor of Australian city Geelong in 2013, has announced ambitious plans to turn the town into a "regional capital of soccer".

Lyons, who became a reality TV star in both the UK and Australia following a career as a celebrity snapper, has unveiled plans to build a new 15,000-capacity stadium in the city.

He has also put forward proposals establish an elite training academy in Geelong – for which he is hoping to secure the endorsement of former England captain David Beckham.

Geelong’s existing Simonds Stadium is oval in shape and while it has hosted exhibition games, is not deemed ideal for regular soccer.

The city doesn’t currently have a professional soccer team, but according to Lyons, there is an appetite for the sport in Geelong – the second largest city in the state of Victoria.

"We want to be the regional capital of soccer for Australia and we have the potential to do that," Lyons told local press – adding that the city’s diverse community offered an ideal platform on which to grow the sport.

“It's a boom sport in a multicultural community, youngsters here prefer soccer over Australian rules football (AFL) and as a city we're having trouble dealing with the growth and demand.”

"There is a huge opportunity for a 15,000-seater stadium at Armstrong Creek and we hope to put it on the agenda ahead of the next federal election."

The plans are in early stages and would have to be approved by the City of Greater Geelong council before being acted on.

• Born in Australia, Lyons worked for a number of newspapers as a photographer before setting up his own Big Pictures photo agency. Primarily supplying paparazzi-style pictures for news organisations, Lyons himself has become a media personality – appearing on shows such as Celebrity Big Brother and Dragon’s Den Australia.

In 2013, Lyons announced his candidacy for the City of Greater Geelong 2013 mayoral election. After initially describing himself as a "comedy candidate", he captured the imagination of the local population and received nearly 30 per cent of the votes – more than double than the second-placed candidate.