After swooping to sign up Bermudian international Kyle Lightbourne, Macclesfield Town are seeking to forge further links with the Island, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Gil Prescott, director of football at the English Third Division club with whom the striker signed a two-year deal recently, has issued an open invitation to the Bermuda national squad to pit their wits against his professionals.

And in an exclusive interview, Prescott said Lightbourne might not be the last Bermudian among the Silkmen's ranks if he took a liking to what he saw and, of course, Government red tape permitted.

"I don't know what the remainder of the (national) squad is like over there but obviously if they are anything like (Kyle) there must be one or two good players. I'd very much like to see some more to be honest with you," he said.

Issuing a direct call for Bermuda coach Mark Trott to get in touch, Prescott said: "I'd love to get the international side to come over and play at Macclesfield because the pitch is second to none, I can assure you. There's very few better pitches in the UK than Macclesfield and it would be perfect if we could get the full squad to come over and play a game.

"I would love to see them and it would be great for Kyle and tremendous for our fans because they would really get behind it and enjoy it.

"If they contacted me they would get more than a warm reception. I'd go out of my way to try and get something like that on the cards because it would be brilliant."

Lightbourne was released by Second Division Stoke City at the end of last season and Prescott admitted his move to Moss Rose had been somewhat unexpected.

"He is an old friend of Kevin Keen's. Kevin had been with us all last season and we joked that it would be nice to have Kyle knowing that probably he was way beyond our means," Prescott said.

"Kyle went to see a couple of people re: a contract and things didn't quite work as he wanted and we thought well let's see if he wants to come training. He did and he enjoyed it and things progressed from there."

It is no secret that Lightbourne earned a very good living at Stoke and so his switch to an unfashionable team in the lower reaches of English football was something of a surprise - especially when he had had interest not only from teams as high as Division One but abroad as well.

But, refreshingly, Prescott revealed that money was not the main concern on the player's mind.

"I am very pleased to say that we could put something in front of Kyle that he was pleased with but a big factor was that he wanted to enjoy his football at this stage of his career," Prescott said. "I think he will do that with us because we do pass the ball. He really has enjoyed the training and I think that was a major factor in him deciding to come to us."

The boss said without doubt Lightbourne had taken a cut in wages. "Most definitely. I am not party to his salary at Stoke but I do know that Macclesfield traditionally are not high payers because of the numbers we get through the gate. But we made the best offer we possibly could to Kyle. Obviously it is well below what I assume he had at Stoke but he did stress that one of the factors he was looking for was that he definitely wanted to enjoy his football. I think that came into the equation and maybe weighed heavily in our favour because he seemed to enjoy the pre-season very much indeed."

The boss said Lightbourne was just the right person to have in the dressing room.

"He is a really likeable guy. Macc we tend to look at, can he play, does he fit in and what kind of a lad is he," Prescott said. "Well he can do all three. He is a great lad with no edge to him whatsoever, he has fitted in brilliantly with the lads. He certainly can play and I think it will be a new lease of life for him because he looks totally enthusiastic about things.

"He has done superbly in the short time he has been with us. I just hope he gets that little bit of rub of the green that he deserves and I am sure he will be a major success for us."

Lightbourne makes his debut for Macclesfield today when they take on Swansea in the opening game of the new season.

On paper it is a tough start as the Welsh side will be looking to bounce back after their relegation from Division Two last season.

"It will be very difficult. Swansea are one of the sides that people are tipping to go straight back up," Prescott said. "We have got a pretty difficult start in Swansea, Rochdale and Rushden and Diamonds, all of which are much bigger clubs than us. Even though Rushden have only come up this year they have probably spent in two years what we have in the last 20."

The manager said he had no qualms about throwing Lightbourne in at the deep end despite his lack of first team action since falling out of favour at Stoke.

But he admitted: "I think there is more to come yet. Kyle is an honest lad. But I am more concerned with the 46 (games) to come rather than the first.

"I think we, Kyle himself and the supporters need to be patient and not set too high expectations on him. They look at his record and think he is good for this and good for that many goals, but I think you have to let the guy settle down and play the way he wants to play.

"He does more than score. He does bring other people into the game and I really feel he is a major asset in a lot of ways. Not least of all I think he'll bring a few more people through the gate."

Macclesfield's match with Swansea is being carried live on the club's website www.mtfc.co.uk starting at 10.45 a.m. Bermuda time.

Meanwhile, Shaun Goater will be paired up front with Paulo Wanchope when Manchester City begin their bid to get back into the top flight this evening.

City take on Gianluca Vialli's Watford in their Division One opener and new boss Kevin Keegan will be looking for Goater to do what he did last time he was in the division - lead the goalscoring charts.