Technical director Derek Broadley has hailed the skill levels of Bermuda Under-17s' players after watching them draw against his former employers Reading Rage in Pennsylvania.

Casting his critical eye over the 23-man squad for the first time, the former Crystal Palace academy director said he believed they were more naturally gifted than their US counterparts, but needed to learn to adapt to different styles of play.

Bermuda took the lead against the Super Y League outfit midway through the first-half on Tuesday when Kashi Davis finished off Quadir Maynard's left-wing cross, before Rage equalised late on after a 'keeper error by Shunte Evans.

"It was the first time I'd seen the players at close quarters and technically they're very good and have excellent athleticism," said Broadley, who was appointed Bermuda Football Association's (BFA) TD last month.

"The one area where they need to improve ¿ and I noticed this with the senior side against Cayman Islands ¿ is being able to change their style of play if required.

"Sometimes I feel they're too intent to play from the back when often you have to sacrifice a few passes to gain territorial advantage."

He added: "We played three 30-minute periods, which was a bit different for the players.

"The first two periods we dominated but to be fair Rage came back towards the end. They never knew when to give in."

Broadley, who accompanied the senior squad to Cayman Islands for their recent World Cup qualifier, said the players had responded well to his training methods and displayed "excellent attitudes and discipline" so far during the week-long training camp.

"I've been taking a lot of the training to get a look at the players at first hand, while Ray Jones has been doing the set-pieces.

"I've been focusing on game related work and decision-making. At first the players struggled a little bit, but they've been getting better as the week has progressed. However, I still think they're struggling with my English sense of humour!

"Overall the trip has been first-class and the facilities have been excellent."

The intense training camp is being used as preparation for Bermuda Under 17s' World Cup qualifiers in Trinidad and Tobago in July.

They are in action again tomorrow night against Reading Rage Under 17s.

"Our team is made up of a lot of 14 and 15 year-olds," added Broadley."So the game against Rage Under 17s should be a real test for them."