Three young Bermudian footballers arrive in Pula, Croatia, tomorrow for a two-week attachment at NK Istra 1961 Academy.

FC Bascome’s Quinn Farnsworth, Cove Bailey of Somerset Trojans, and Isaac Wookey from X-Roads, will be with the Croatian club for 12 days. During this period, they will take part in training sessions and play in preseason fixtures.

Farnsworth, Bailey and Wookey were chosen at a talent identification camp conducted at Bermuda College last October by Andro Fistonic, the NK Istra 1961’s head of youth development. Fistonić identified the players with assistance from X-Roads coaches.

Ibraheem Talbot, the fourth budding star identified by Fistonic, was also meant to travel to Croatia, but the X-Roads player could not be part of the trip.

Khomeini Talbot, the head of delegation, who is arriving in the European country today, expects the rising stars to gain a lot from the trip.

“This trip will be an eye-opener for the young players,” Talbot said. “No matter what happens, they would have experienced going to a blooming and blossoming European nation, as you know, Croatia usually punch way above their weight in international football competitions.

“These players were hand-picked by Andro Fistonic when he came here in October, and they are now taking advantage of the opportunity to come out and train with the club. If they like what they see, then there’s the opportunity to come back again.

“The players will be training with the club for two weeks and getting evaluated. They’ll be playing some exhibition matches since it’s the preseason.

“The players that are going, two of them are ten-year-olds, the other one is eleven, that is why their parents are travelling with them.

“We were supposed to have four players going on this trip, but Ibraheem Talbot, the fourth player wasn't able to travel with the group this time. He’ll be going in April, maybe other players might go with him as well.”