Bermuda soccer legend Clyde Best believes next week?s Santos tour ?can only do good for soccer here?.

Best?s company Setplay is behind the Brazilian champions? three-game tour and the former West Ham star is already getting excited about the arrival of the internationally-acclaimed side.

?We have been contemplating doing something like this for a while,? said Best, who played against Pele?s former club in New York in the 1970s when with West Ham.

?Bringing a top footballing side to Bermuda is going to be good for everyone. It is good for the fans, for the players and for the game in general.

?It will expose our players to a very high standard of play and hopefully bring the sport forward.?

Santos will arrive next Friday and take on Kyle Lightbourne?s side on Sunday at the National Stadium in their first encounter.

They will then move on to Somerset Cricket Club for games against Dandy Town on the following Tuesday before rounding off their Island stay against a League Select XI, comprising players from both the Premier and First Division, managed by Andrew Bascome and Dennis Brown.

Unfortunately the Brazilians, who won their domestic championship last month for the second year in a row, will be travelling without star striker Robinho, who hit the headlines after his mother was kidnapped for 40 days last year.

The striker, who has been linked with Chelsea, Benfica and, most recently, Real Madrid over the past two seasons, will be staying at home, revealed Best.

?Robinho had a lot of problems last season with what happened to his mother and won?t be coming,? continued Best.

?They are bringing a mixture of first-team players and juniors but these are Brazilians, and we all know how skilful and entertaining they all are. Any player connected with a club like Santos is going to be a great player and they will put on a great show in Bermuda.

?It will be good for all of our players to play against guys at this level, they will definitely be able to learn something from our visitors.?

And Best, who witnessed Celtic, Manchester United and Chelsea?s visits here in the past, is keen for the Santos tour not to be just a one-off.

?The more often we can bring in top-class opposition, the better,? continued Best.

?Our players don?t get the chance to compete against these sort of players very often and I think they can really benefit from it.

?We have a lot of irons in the fire all over the world and there will be other tours in the future, that is what we are working towards.?

Bermuda Football Association general secretary David Sabir also added his backing to the Santos tour.

?It is another fantastic opportunity to experience international football in Bermuda,? he told

?We also commend the group led by Clyde Best for taking the initiative and looking out for the best interests of the sport in Bermuda.

?The matches are an important part of our national programme and our ongoing aim to make Bermuda a footballing force to be reckoned with in the Caribbean.

?We all agree that the only way we can get better, aside from training, is continued exposure to international matches and we are delighted with the Santos tour and another chance to gain the experience that our players deserve, and require.?