Bermuda Football Association's national academy have forged links with English Premier League side West Ham in a football development agreement.

The partnership will give the Hammers first pick of the national academy's best youngsters with Bermuda's players and coaches going in the opposite direction to gain experience.

As part of the "mutually beneficial relationship" the East London giants will also explore the possibility of establishing a West Ham International Academy on the Island.

In August, they will send a team of their academy coaches to Bermuda to hold a youth soccer camp.

BFA technical director Derek Broadley believes West Ham are "the natural fit" for Bermuda football because of "the Clyde Best connection".

Best starred for the Hammers between 1968 and 1976 and played alongside Tony Carr whose youth academy team are currently involved in the Clyde Best Invitational Youth Tournament.

"It's important Bermuda players know there's something there for them at the end of the rainbow, something tangible," said former Crystal Palace academy director, Broadley.

"West Ham are a natural fit for us, especially with the Clyde Best connection."

Broadley wants to send the national academy coaches to Upton Park to experience to the day-to-day running of a top English academy.

"I'd like to explore sending some of national academy coaches to West Ham to have a fly on the wall look at what goes on at an English football academy.

"We sent Devarr Boyles (youth director) to Fulham last year and this relationship will now enable us to send our best coaches to West Ham."

West Ham already have ten sister clubs and the United States and Canada and plan to expand that number to 25 by the end of the year. The agreement will allow Bermuda's top youngster to train and play at those teams and experience "the West Ham way".

"It's a great opportunity for our young players to go and experience the West Ham way in the US, and hopefully the UK eventually," added Broadley.

"Their academy is one of the leading lights in English football so this is a great link up for us."

Carr, who played alongside Best for the Hammers youth team back in the 1960s, said he hoped West Ham would be now able to unearth another Clyde Best from Bermuda.

"You have to have a goal and you have to have a dream and Bermuda's players now have a direct route into West Ham United," said Carr, whose academy under-16s beat Bermuda under-16s 5-0 yesterday.

"Hopefully there's another Bermudian to follow in Clyde's footsteps. It's about time we had another Bermudian come over and cracked it at West Ham. Clyde was a great at West Ham and is very fondly remembered."