An opportunity is in store for one aspiring Bermudian footballer to travel to Scotland on an all-expenses-paid trip to train at the Celtic Soccer Academy.

Three Celtic coaches have been in Bermuda for a five-day training camp at Saltus Grammar School run in conjunction with the LB Football Academy.

The visiting coaches, Kyle McCulloch, Scott Murray, and David Clements, have been working with Leo Burgess, the founder and technical director of LB Academy, and one of the Bermuda-based academy’s coaches, Rychus Symonds.

More than 80 youngsters from ten schools, mostly boys aged between 7 and 15, are attending the camp, which forms part of a five-year partnership between LB Academy and Celtic.

Burgess revealed that they will be returning to Bermuda in April on a mission to identify one talented youngster to get the opportunity to have a taste of life at one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

“In April the Celtic coaches are supposed to be coming back,’’ Burgess said.

“It will be more of an elite camp where we’ll choose a player to go over to Glasgow for a week and get the experience of being an academy boy.

“The chosen player will be between 11 and 15, a higher age group and they will go on an all-expenses-paid experience to Glasgow.

“It will give them a taste of what it’s like playing within that environment, being among players that are already in that environment and just opening their eyes.

“Being from Bermuda, we don’t really get the opportunity to see what it’s like out there. Through Celtic, we opened that door and build that bridge to experience it.”

Murray gave an insight into the kind of player they are looking to take to Glasgow.

“The player should be able to compete within that age group,’’ he said.

“They should be able to cope with the demands, the speed and intensity. From a coaching perspective, the expectations are different with age, coaches will communicate and demands are placed on the player.”

Last year, Leo and Kyshon Burgess, together with Symonds travelled to Scotland for six days, while coaches in Bermuda at Vasco, where Burgess is a player-coach, are also receiving mentorship.

“We did this coaching camp before in 2022 and last year the LB coaches travelled to Glasgow for a convention,’’ Burgess added.

“Jose Romero, the Celtic international partnership manager, has been mentoring LB coaches out here in Bermuda through Zoom sessions and it has been really goodat opening our minds to the professional realm.”

Burgess views the camp as an opportunity for the island’s youngsters to get exposure to top-notch coaching at a lower cost.

“For me it’s to create an elite experience and to save parents travelling expenses by bringing the Celtic coaches here,’’ Burgess said.

“We’re also doing it for player development and t’s a good experience for them. They’re enjoying it and learning as much as they can, and for some, it’s just about adapting to a different level.”

McCulloch is excited to return to the island as he got an opportunity to work with the same coaches and most of the children he mentored on his last visit in October 2022.

“It’s really good to be back,” he said. “Obviously, we touched on a lot during the first trip and formed connections with the coaches and the children as well.

“It’s really important that the children are comfortable. That helps on the pitch as well and a lot of them are more relaxed because we have met before.

“The benefit of being here last time really helped. The children are coming here and they’re engaged, and they’re coachable.

“They come with an open mind, it’s good to work with as many children in Bermuda.”

Clements has found the camp taxing, since it requires the same zeal for the two different groups.

“It’s been challenging and we've had long days,’’ Clements said.

“We’re working with a group in the morning and after lunch we have an afternoon session.

“We've been on the field for 12 hours and you try to give the same energy to the group in the morning as the group in the afternoon.

“Some of the players will take on the information and want to develop, others may be here just for participation and to enjoy the sport. They might not be here to progress to be a professional footballer.

“The ones that want to become professionals, they will engage more and try to take more information. As a coach, you’re trying to maintain a balance within the groups.”

Symonds feels that his coaching has been enhanced by LB’s partnership with Celtic Soccer Academy, as the arrangement has given him an opportunity to pick the brains of the Scottish club’s coaches.

“I've been dealing with coaches from around the world and it’s been eye-opening,’’ Symonds told The Royal Gazette.

“Kyle and I had a chat about different activities that he’s done. Maybe I can take away from it and use it to benefit more of a coaching style.”