Bermuda's national academy players will have the chance to impress scouts from West Ham United and Saint-Etienne during next week's Clyde Best Invitational Youth Football Tournament.

Two national academy sides, made up of players born in 1993, '94and '95, will compete in the four-team competition, which runs from February 12-14 at the National Sports Centre (NSC).

For West Ham legend Best, this year's tournament will be extra special as it involves his beloved Hammers for whom he starred from 1968 until 1976.

He said the round-robin contest would offer Bermuda's best youngsters a great opportunity to test themselves against some of Europe's most promising young players.

"West Ham have not been here since the early 1970s and it is great for them to come to Bermuda," Best said. "Tony Carr, their coach, used to play with me in the West Ham youth team and it is nice for them to come here and see our beautiful country and go back to England and tell people how fortunate we are to be living in Bermuda.

"Any chance you get to play against top opposition is a learning experience and our players need to take advantage of that.

"You do not get the chance to play against teams like Saint-Etienne and West Ham every week."

Although admission will be free for the matches, spectators will be asked to donate to the BFA's Haiti Relief Fund. Best said he hoped to see football fans flock to the NSC to support Bermuda's stars of tomorrow.

"It is very important the community come out and support these kids," he said. "It would be great to see a great crowd at the National Sports Centre. If people do not want to come when it is free then we have a serious problem."

Bermuda Football Association (BFA) technical director Derek Broadley is intrigued to see how the national academy teams fare against West Ham and Saint-Etienne, who are both renowned for developing young talent.

He said the games would stretch Bermuda's academy players ahead of their upcoming Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and Concacaf tournaments.

"Bringing in teams of this calibre shows the direction the association is going in," he said. "Originally the Clyde Best Tournament attracted teams from America but since it has come under the BFA banner we have brought in some of Europe's top academy teams.

"Although our national academy is still in its infancy these games will give us a good gauge of where we are at. They will be a stern test and it will be interesting to see if we can compete against some of the top European teams.

"Historically there have always been opportunities to play against the top Caribbean teams but the European sides will be a lot stronger. We are always trying to set up pathways for our young players to join professional clubs and maybe there is another Clyde Best out there to follow in his footsteps and sign for Saint-Etienne or West Ham."

Devarr Boyles, BFA youth director, said the national academy players were chomping at the bit to be involved in the annual tournament, now in its fourth year.

"The players are excited about these games," Boyles said. "I think some of the older boys are a bit disappointed they will not be involved – they keep on badgering me to let them play."

Saint-Etienne are one of the most renowned club academies in France. They have won 10 League Championships, six French Cups and two UEFA Cups.

Similarly, West Ham have a proven track record of producing some of England top players with esteemed internationals such as Bobby Moore, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard coming off the Hammers academy conveyer belt.

During the tournament, the BFA will also be hosting a Coach Education Seminar featuring guest speakers Jacques Crevoiser and Tony Carr from February 10-14 at BFA Field and CedarBridge Academy.

Crevoiser spent 12 years as a national coach with the French Football Federation at the famed Clairefontaine academy, which includes graduates such as Thierry Henry, Nicholas Anelka and William Gallas.

For the past 27 years, Carr has worked at the West Ham youth academy and helped develop Ferdinand, Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick and Glen Johnson.

Originally, the Clyde Best Football Invitational Tournament was hosted by the Bermuda Football Foundation (BFF) before the BFA tookover the event. Last year's visiting teams were French club, FC Sochaux, and MLS side Colorado Rapids.

Donations to the BFA's Haiti Relief Fund can be deposited in their account #010-003051-0066 at the HSBC Bank of Bermuda, or delivered to the BFA headquarters. The sum total will be presented to the relevant Haitian Football Association authorities, or the regional governing body on their behalf at the Caribbean Football Union Congress in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on February 27.