Though David Bascome cannot say where his future might lie come next season, the Bermudian soccer star is sure of one thing - he will be playing.

The 33-year-old Bascome has been the star turn at the Harrisburg Heat of the Major Indoor Soccer League since its inaugural year in the 1991-92 season.

In that time he has acquired almost every record going at the club and last season scored a team-high 90 points - 40 goals, eight assists - and blocked 26 shots; and that on a team that finished the term 15-21 and missed the play-offs for the second consecutive season.

However, just whether he will run out in Heat colours next season is open to debate as rumours abound that the club might not even make it to opening day.

Owner Rod Rumberger has yet to comment publicly on the Heat's future, but with attendances continuing to dwindle and money not being made there are fears the franchise could fold in the not too distance future.

Rumberger admitted the Heat had lost "several hundred thousand dollars a year" since he bought into the club prior to the 1995-96 season.

MISL commissioner Steve Ryan, meanwhile, said last month he was determined to keep the franchise where it was, but as yet no decision has been announced.

Whatever the outcome Bascome's own future would seem an uncertain one.

The options would seem to be some involvement at front office level in tandem with a playing role at Harrisburg should a new management team come in or a move made to another club.

Bascome was allowed to talk to other clubs last season because he was in his option year but whether he has or not the player won't confirm.

That has not stopped the rumours from surfacing, however, and suggestions that he might be keen on a move to the Baltimore Blast or the Kansas City Comets have been mooted.

The Blast were crowned the 2002-03 MISL Champions when they defeated the Milwaukee Wave 2-1in the best of three Championship Series and would seem a fitting team to join for a player desperate to get his hands on the top honour before calling it a day.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette yesterday from his home in the US, Bascome, when asked to comment on the rumours, was understandably evasive given the present uncertainty.

"It's questionable," he said of whether he may still be in Harrisburg. "There's so much up in the air at the moment."

At the moment even if there were games to be played taking part would not be an option for Bascome as he is recovering from a double hernia operation.

The problem was diagnosed earlier in the season but the player opted to soldier on. "We had three players with the same thing. We had a new coach come in and put a lot of emphasis on strength and endurance fitness and I think it was just wear and tear," he said. "It's fine right now. I am recovering and I am pretty sure I will be fine and running around in the next two weeks."

Bascome believes he has a few seasons left in his legs and his enthusiasm is that of a man many years younger, something he puts down to the Heat's new coach Erich Geyer.

"When I was being coached by Burkhard Ziese (former Bermuda national coach) I thought he was the best coach in the world," he said. "This guy (Geyer) is from Germany, knows Burkhard, and I tell you what, he's better.

"Every day he has me in his office, coaching me, teaching me."

Bascome's success on the pitch this season was somewhat unexpected, given that he was returning from an anterior cruciate ligament, commonly known as ACL, injury.

"I ended up scoring 40 goals which was a surprise to me because I was thinking I would have kind of a laid back season to get myself going," he said.

That he didn't was all down to Geyer.

"He calls me every day," Bascome said. "He judges me in everything I do, teaches me about the game, about dealing with the young kids, everything about being a professional.

"His ideal scenario for me is to take over the club as coach. He told me `If I give you my information you have no choice but to be coach'."

Under anyone else the scenario might have been a little different.

"I think it would have been tough for me to come back with the coaches that were here," Bascome said. "Eric Geyer has won 13 championships and one was an Indoor World Cup with Mexico. If it hadn't been for him I would have probably been doing things by myself."

One of the things Geyer did was to make Bascome captain.

"I never liked being the captain and he made me," he said. "It was a pleasure. To be the leader of a group of guys who want to win and to relay the great information that he had given me over to them became an honour."

Whatever happens Bascome will be back on the Island in June when he hosts his own soccer camp at the end of the month.

"It's going to be pretty big and I am excited about it," he said.