The signing of Kevin Richards by Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids is great news for Bermuda's national team, says coach Kenny Thompson.

Richards, who was picked up from Notre Dame University in Friday's MLS Superdraft, was originally wanted by Thompson for the festive matches with Barbados.

However, the right-back had a prior family engagement and was excused from attending.

With that out of the way, he is now firmly in Thompson's plans for the friendlies with Trinidad and Tobago next month and World Cup 2006 qualifiers shortly after.

"I have been in contact with Kevin almost from the beginning about his availability and we expect to have him involved in the upcoming matches prior to the World Cup, as well as possibly the World Cup matches themselves," said Thompson, who said he had seen reports of his performances and watched videos sent to him by the player. "He is certainly a player of quality that could help the national team."

The 22-year-old Richards, he said, was someone that, if he impressed, would have a long-term future on the international scene.

"He is a young player and certainly one who could play in multiple World Cup campaigns, something that I have spoken about in selecting the team," Thompson said. "It remains to be seen what his performances at the international level are like. I think he has proven that he can play at a high standard at the collegiate level and now he has to be able to step it up a little bit to the international level.

"I think, without really knowing him that well, he can do well at that level, if not immediately then down the road, but he will certainly be given the opportunity to show us what he can do."

Thompson said he was "pleasantly surprised" on hearing the result of the draft and called to congratulate Richards on behalf of the Bermuda Football Association.

"I think it is always a good thing for a Bermudian player to be in an environment like that. One thing we know from playing at the collegiate level, he is playing at higher intensity level and it's required that he concentrate and focus for longer periods than might be required at the Premier level here," he said.

"The same thing is true for the professional players. Being in that environment, it would certainly take him a little less time to adjust to anything that we are doing here."

Thompson said he hoped others might follow in Richards' footsteps.

"It is a good thing and certainly paves the way for Bermudian players in the future. If he can translate what he has done at the collegiate level into good performances at the professional level then it can open up avenues for other Bermudian players," he said.

The player himself said he was honoured to be joining the national set-up.

"It means a lot for me to play for my country," he said. "I am hoping that with school and the MLS I can come to some agreement and get down to Bermuda and play some games.

"If I get the opportunity to play I am going to come down a week in advance and get some practice."

Richards believes Thompson's men have not got the credit they deserve and believes they can go on to impress in the Caribbean region.

"I think our national programme just needs to play more games and we are doing that. The team just needs to get some cohesion and then they will be great," he said.