Drewonde Bascome, the Devonshire Cougars midfielder, will be keen to impress scouts at next month’s inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) Caribbean Player Combine in Antigua and Barbuda.

The Cougars midfielder has been invited to take part in the MLS sponsored event that will be held January 2-5 at the famous Antigua Recreation Ground and will involve training sessions and matches against local clubs.

Bascome has become a key figure in Cougars’ set up since his move to the Den from Robin Hood at the end of the 2011-12 season.

Last season he helped guide the club to a maiden Triple Crown (league title, Friendship Trophy and FA Cup) and currently leads Cougars’ scoring charts this term with nine goals in all competitions.

The MLS Caribbean Player Combine is a partnership between the MLS and Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and is designed to create more opportunities for Caribbean footballers to ply their trade among the professional ranks in the United States.

The upcoming event will feature elite-level players, ages 18-21, that have been invited from around the Caribbean to showcase their skills in front of MLS scouts.

Those who impress scouts will be invited to participate in the annual adidas MLS Player Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to be held later next month.

“We recognise that the Concacaf area, and particularly the Caribbean, is rich with soccer talent, and this will be an opportunity for our scouts to evaluate and identify the region’s top players,” said MLS Executive Vice President Todd Durbin. “Caribbean players from islands like Jamaica, Haiti, Grenada and others have been key performers in MLS. This event will help recognise the next generation of MLS stars as we look to achieve our goal of being among the best leagues in the world by 2022.”

Gordon Derrick, CFU President, added: “As CFU Member Associations turn their attention to Russia 2018, this is an exciting developmental opportunity for the opulent young talent in the Caribbean to assess their developmental level and the growth required to play at the highest level.

“This partnership with MLS is another way in which we at the CFU are seeking to bridge the gap that exists between talent availability and scouting opportunities that the Caribbean region has received from professional leagues.”

Bermudians are no strangers to the MLS, with the likes of Khano Smith (New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls), Freddy Hall (Toronto FC) and Reggie Lambe (Toronto FC) having all suited up in the league that was formed two decades ago.

Smith has retired from playing professional football but currently coaches the Revolution’s Under-18s while Lambe recently had his contract at Toronto extended into the new year. Goalkeeper Hall was released by Toronto in December 2012.