The football dreams and aspirations of one young Bermudian are hanging in the balance.

Just when 17-year-old North Village forward Keishen Bean was beginning to make his presence felt in top-flight football, a badly torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee has cast a dark shadow over the promising youngster?s future.

The CedarBridge Academy student and former Bermuda Under-17 national team player suffered the injury over the summer months in a friendly match against the visiting New York/New Jersey MetroStars at the National Sports Centre.

Accepting the advice of his doctor, Bean rested the injury for the next six weeks before rejoining the Island?s Under-20 national squad as they prepared for last August?s World Cup qualifying commitment in Jamaica.

But as it turned out, Bean?s worries were only beginning as another trip to a specialist revealed the injury was much worse than previously believed. Bean had torn most of the ACL in his right knee and will now have to undergo major surgery to reconstruct the knee in December ? thus ruling him out for the remainder of the 2004-05 season.

?It?s very disappointing because I had a couple of good games last season and some of my team-mates, and I myself, were expecting even better things to come this season,? said Bean yesterday. ?I was hoping this would have been the season to really shine.?

Bean?s injury could not have come at a worse time as Village remain anchored at the bottom of the Premier Division and are currently suffering a mini injury crisis.

?It?s just frustrating to watch the team struggle and not be able to do anything to help them,? said Bean, the son of former Somerset Eagles midfielder Wayne Bean.

?I feel as if I should be out there. The injury doesn?t really hurt that much, and I feel as though I can actually play. However, the doctor said playing would only make it worse as it could possibly snap. So it?s best not to risk doing any further damage by playing football right now.?

This latest setback has effectively ruled the player out of next month?s Martonmere Cup final when defending cup champions Village take on Dandy Town in what will be a repeat of the 2001-02 FA Cup final between the two urban rivals.

?I was really looking forward to playing up there,? lamented Bean, who began his career as a five-year-old at Somerset Eagles. ?But I guess I will have to wait until the next opportunity.?

Once Bean has surgery completed, the promising Village player will embark on a long journey to first rehabilitate his knee and then regain match fitness. And it could be some time before Bean dons another Village jersey.

?North Village is important to me but college is the bigger picture and so once I return to playing I?m going to concentrate on the bigger picture,? said Bean, who hopes to secure a football scholarship at Old Dominion University next September.

?I have actually spoken with a few people who have had the same surgery,? continued Bean, who travelled to Holland several years ago along with former Village and Bermuda coach Kenny Thompson to compete in various youth tournaments at Feyenoord and Ajax.

?I have been told the actual surgery really hurts. But the most important part will be the rehabilitation process. That will eventually determine how fast I can get back to match fitness.?

Meanwhile, also currently on the injury list at Bernard Park are ?keeper Zane Hendrickson, Keith Jennings, Jamaul Boyles and veteran striker Damon Wade.

It was learned yesterday that Wade, currently out of the team through suspension, was involved in a recent traffic accident and is now expected to miss next month?s Martonmere Cup final at the Sports Centre.

?Damon (Wade) might not be back until the new year,? said Village player/coach Kentoine Jennings yesterday.

Friday?s scheduled Premier Division match involving Devonshire Cougars and Southampton Rangers has now been moved to Sunday at Devonshire Rec.