Clyde Best may have been away from the local football scene for the better part of two decades, but few would disagree that the Island's greatest player would be the ideal man to lead Bermuda's team into the next World Cup qualifying campaign.

And the good news for those who would like to see that happen is that the former professional is interested in the vacant job.

The Royal Gazette revealed this week that Best recently had informal discussions with Johnny Nusum, chairman of Bermuda Football Association's coaching committee, and yesterday the former West Ham star confirmed he was interested in the job.

"I'm always interested in coaching and if something was to arise of course I would be more than happy to come back home,'' said Best. "But that's not in my hands.'' Best was interested in the Technical Director's post which went to German Burkhard Ziese, and with Ziese having been fired earlier this year, the BFA could now look to Best to fill a coaching position. Best says he is ready to return from his home in California to fulfill such an obligation.

"I would have to. To get the job done right that is how you would have to do it,'' said the one-time Somerset Trojans striker. "You can't commute, it's too far.'' Best, who was a professional with the Hammers from the late 1960s to 1975 when he moved to the North American Soccer League, has been back home since earlier this month conducting free coaching clinics for youngsters. He will be here for another couple of weeks, his longest stint back in Bermuda since before he became a professional as a teenager.

It is expected he will have further talks with BFA officials before he departs.

"I'm talking all the time with people so if it's going to happen it will happen,'' said Best. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens.'' Best watched his former team play North Village in the Friendship Trophy recently and it was probably evident to him how the standard has changed.

"From what I saw from the last game we definitely have work to do,'' he said.

"If anyone doesn't think so they are kidding themselves. We've got work to do and we can do it if we all pull together.'' Best also preferred not to make comparisons between teams of the past and present. "You can't live in the past, you've got to think of the future,'' he added.

"We've got to prepare for what we're trying to do right now. What happened years ago was nice but we've got to get the programme rolling and in the right direction.'' Best watched one or two of Bermuda's World Cup qualifying games from 1992 on television back in California. If given the job as coach he has his own ideas as to how he would tackle the task, with Bermuda to play Trinidad and Tobago in their first qualifying match in March or April.

"I would have to look at it with my own eyes and then I make my assumptions,'' said Best. "It's not fair to the guys who were involved before to make comments but from what I gather they did a pretty good job and there's no reason why they can't do it again.

"I know what I would do, and these are only my own ideas... from what I've collected from my years of playing. If they were good enough for me then they've got to be good enough for here.

"It's not a hard task, it's a small place and it's just a matter of assembling the right people and having the backing of everybody that's involved.'' CLYDE BEST -- `I would be more than happy to come back home.'