Thanks to Bermuda's Director of Coaching Clyde Best, two promising young soccer players have been given the chance of a lifetime.

Midfielder Vashun Blanchette and goalkeeper Freddy Hall left Bermuda for London on Tuesday night to join School of Excellence programmes organised by West Ham United and Tottenham, both of the Premier Division, and Third Division clubs Leyton Orient and Barnet.

Best, who was a stalwart with West Ham during the late sixties through to the mid 70s, and who played alongside their current coach Harry Redknapp, is travelling with the two players.

Both youngsters are members of the Bermuda Under-15 national squad. Blanchette attends Saltus Grammar School and plays with Somerset CC while Hall is a student at Mount St. Agnes and plays with St. George's juniors. Blanchette is 13-years-old and Hall 14. He is the nephew of Devonshire Colts and Bermuda goalkeeper Troy Hall.

While Best has chosen these two players initially, he believes there are others with equal talent who can be given similar opportunities in the future.

"I think it's important if we are going to play at an international level that we have professional players help us, so it's vital that our youngsters be given every opportunity to reach higher levels,'' said Best.

"While these two are going to West Ham, it's possible that the other clubs will get a good look at them also. Harry has seen them before and he liked them. But the opportunity gives them the chance to play against kids their own age so that they will know what they have to do in order to improve their individual games.'' Best said he was thrilled to see players given such an opportunity. He noted that the two players were well behaved, good students and with a proven ability to work hard in whatever they pursued.

"I see so many others here with lots of potential and I intend to see if it's possible to get as many of them as possible away to clubs in England so that they can have the opportunity to reach their goals in soccer just like I did some 30 years ago,'' said Best.

Venetia Blanchette, mother of Vashun, said that the players had the full support of their families and the fact that both were superb students and continued to do well academically made it easy to approve the trip.

Both had toured Holland over the past two summers with Kenny Thompson's squad and intended to do so a third time this summer.

"We look at is as a vehicle for them to develop their overall lives, their character and their ability on the field of play. It's their passion and it means building a positive character for both,'' she said.