Scott Morton believes he will be taking charge of the most talented crop of Bermudian players for some time after being appointed as the Under-23 national coach.

Morton has spent the last few months grooming the Under-23 squad during their matches against USL-D2 opposition as they start preparing for next year's Olympic and Pan Am Games qualifiers.

The avid Barcelona supporter, who spent time harnessing his knowledge at Clairfontaine – France's top football academy – said he was thrilled at being entrusted with overseeing the national academy's flagship team and wanted to develop them into a sophisticated and dynamic international outfit.

"I want to help rejuvenate the national programme starting from the top. The Under-23s are the flagship national academy team and it's important we do things correctly so the other age groups have a good model to follow," he said.

"We will have almost a year to prepare properly for our next big tournaments and that's just never happened before. Those preparations have already started with our matches against US opposition and we're working on becoming less naive and more dynamic. We've an excellent group of players and I'm excited about our future."

Morton stepped down as Dandy Town coach at the end of the season and while he has not ruled out returning to the club he led to the Dudley Eve title, he believes it could be more beneficial for him to fully focus on his new position.

"Last season I filled in as Dandy Town coach when Meshach Wade couldn't perform his duties because of work commitments," Morton explained. "As it stands I'm no longer Dandy Town coach and would have to apply for the job like everyone else.

"In previous years, national team coaches have still been involved with domestic clubs and it could be advantageous to have more time to watch a wide range of young players instead."

Technical director Derek Broadley described Morton as an opened minded coach and said he was the only candidate the Bermuda Football Association had considered.

"Scott has already started working with the Under-23s and I think he's a very good coach. He had a successful season with Dandy Town and I think he will be an excellent appointment," Broadley said.

"I've been speaking to him for a while (about the position) and he also has a very good relationship with our youth director, Devarr Boyles, who he spent time with at Clairefontaine.

"He has a very open mind and deserves his chance. With his knowledge and experience I think he will fit in well with what we're trying to achieve.

"It's no secret that we're looking to devote a lot of time to this group of players and when the Olympic and Pan Am Games qualifiers come around I think we should be in good shape."

Bermuda Under-23s are next in action against Crystal Palace Baltimore at BFA Field on June 20.