Kyle Lightbourne?s senior national football team are Rev-ving up for some long overdue action.

And should plans go ahead, Bermuda?s national team could take on Khano Smith?s New England Revolution at the National Sports Centre early next month.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) side are hoping to secure a series of warm up matches against Lightbourne?s men in preparation for a February 22 first leg CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final tie against Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense at the Sports Centre.

And Lightbourne, who has virtually presided over a dormant national football programme since last May, can?t wait to begin laying the groundwork for the upcoming Caribbean and Central American Games (CAC), CONCACAF Under 20 Youth Tournament and Digicel Cup international competitions.

The former Coventry City poacher reckons New England will arrive in Bermuda with a much stronger squad than last year. So as a countermeasure Lightbourne intends to assemble the best players Bermuda has to offer ? with the possibility of calling on the likes of John Barry Nusum, David Bascome, Damon Ming and Kevin Richards.

Southend United?s Shaun Goater, however, has expressed a desire to retire from national team duty.

?Goater is looking not to play any more international games,? Lightbourne confirmed. ?But basically it?s all up to him and we do have a lot of young players away in school that are looking very good.?

Lightbourne was alluding to the likes of North Village?s Tyrell Burgess, Thomas Watson, DeVaughn DeGraff and Taurean Manders, PHC?s Robert Richardson and Jahnai Raynor, promising youngsters he intends to surround with some of the Island?s more experienced players.

Goalies Nigel Burgess, Jason Williams and Daniel Johnson are also currently enrolled in studies abroad.

He cautioned: ?New England are a quality opposition and I expect them to be stronger than some of the countries we play against in our region. So it?s really important we put out your strongest team.?

And what better way to do so than to have as many professionals as possible in his squad.

There is, however, one main concern ? covering travelling costs to have his top guns fly in for the big dance.

?To bring players back is very costly and this is something that has been discussed,? added Lightbourne, whose squad has been inactive since touring World Cup-bound Trinidad early last summer.

And part of the problem, he claims, stems from the BFA?s inability to secure a permanent training venue.

?This is something the association (Bermuda Football Association) has had to contend with, finding a suitable training facility. And it?s a big cost because the association have to pay whenever they use alternative venues to train,? he added.

?We can?t call a training session whenever we want to or get into a routine like at club level where the players understand the weekly routine. They know what?s expected of them but now for us we have to start from scratch and it does get frustrating a bit.

?But that?s something we have to contend with at the moment and hopefully when the new training facility (Gym Field) gets up and running it will help cut down costs for acquiring training facilities and we can plan ahead without any interruptions.

?And I think the money that could be saved could then go towards various other initiatives such as incoming or overseas tours.?

That aside, though, Lightbourne hopes to release a training squad of 30 players, including new additions, in the very near future.

?There are still a few senior players out there who haven?t had a chance to play for the national team in the past,? he continued. ?But I?ve watched them this season and some of them have been doing quite well.?

Lightbourne is also delighted with news Bermuda will compete in September?s Digicel Cup competition in the Caribbean.

?I really think this is a competition where we can achieve success playing other teams within the region,? he said.

Competing overseas, he added, comes with its advantages.

?I?ve always supported the idea of having as many of our players as possible exposed to playing football overseas,? Lightbourne said. ?I think the more players we have playing overseas will only benefit us at the international level because they will be exposed to playing at a higher level.?

Meanwhile, First Division league action resumes tomorrow with promotion contenders Paget and newly-crowned Dudley Eve champions Wolves set to lock horns at White Hill Field while third-placed St.George?s are away to fifth-placed X Roads at Garrison Field.

Elsewhere, Social Club take Prospect at Bernard Park and Somerset Eagles are at home to Southampton Rangers in the second match of a double header while leaders St.David?s host Hamilton Parish at Lords.