Bermuda's most celebrated soccer player, Clyde Best, is set to return to the Island to hold a two week coaching clinic for youngsters from December 11-28, Bermuda Football Association announced yesterday.

The Youth Soccer Camp will mark the first time that the former Somerset Trojan, Bermuda international and West Ham United forward will have been involved in the sport locally in any capacity since he represented Bermuda back in the late 1970s.

He has lived in California for several years.

Best first made the Trojans senior team at 15-years-old and was chosen to play for Bermuda at the tender age of 16 when he was included in the Pan-Am Games squad that won a silver medal in Winnipeg in 1967.

He went on to greater heights in 1968 when top English club West Ham signed him as a professional and he became one of the Hammers' leading strikers.

BFA General Secretary David Sabir admitted yesterday that there had always been concern about Bermuda's apparent reluctance to get Best involved in coaching in his own country, noting that securing his services had given Association a great deal of satisfaction.

"The idea of having Clyde here is something that has always been floating around the community.'' said Sabir. "His whereabouts and what he has been doing has always been on the minds of many. One day out of the blue we managed to contact him and after a brief conversation he expressed a desire to come and do this coaching during the school break.

"Obviously we regard it as being unfortunate that it has taken this long to secure his assistance after he ended his long and distinguished playing career. We are absolutely overwhelmed that a Bermudian can return to his home soil and help contribute to this programme.'' While Best will be in charge of the clinic, former head coach of Howard University and current FIFA goalkeeping instructor Lincoln Phillips will conduct a goalkeeping camp from December 18-22.

According to the BFA the two-week camp is a venture designed to provide quality soccer instruction in the areas of heading, shooting, passing, dribbling, ball control and goalkeeping.

The BFA are hoping for an attendance of at least 100 schoolchildren with Sabir noting that that there would be no limit on the number of participants. "We are not putting a limit on anything. If 200 or more show up.. .the more the merrier. The event is for the kids, we will just have to accommodate whoever shows up,'' he added.

It has been largely through the three-year sponsorship of XL Insurance for the development of soccer that the programme has been implemented.

Sabir said that as a result of the sponsorship, there would be no charge with participants only being asked to bring their playing gear and light refreshments and be responsible for their own transportation to and from the various venues.

The first camp will be staged at Warwick Secondary School field from 9.30 a.m.

to 3.30 p.m. next Wednesday (December 13) to Tuesday, December 19, while the second will be held at Shelly Bay from December 20-28.

The goalkeeping camp takes place at BAA from December 18-22 with under-16 year olds involved from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and seniors from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Registration forms have been circulated to various clubs and organisations throughout the Island and they can also be obtained from the offices of the BFA.

The BFA's new coaching chairman Johnny Nusum, himself a former professional player in United States, said yesterday that Bermuda youngsters should benefit by having a former player of Best's calibre here.

"There is no doubt about it. He was one of our finest goalscorers and will have plenty to pass on to our up and coming players,'' said Nusum.

CLYDE BEST -- arguably Bermuda's most talented and successful soccer player ever.