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Barnet keep close eye on Lewis

Amar Lewis (right) has recently been training with Barnet’s youth team.

Barnet are keeping tabs on Bermuda teenager Amar Lewis who has been training with the Bees as he continues to adapt to the English game.Lewis has been recommended to Barnet by Bermuda Hogges owner Paul Scope, a close friend of the club’s director of football Paul Fairclough whose England C team beat Bermuda 6-1 in June.Currently living in Chelmsford, Lewis, 15, already has some experience of the rigours of English football having spent ten days training with West Ham’s Academy in 2010.And Scope believes Lewis is a player who could potentially sign terms for an English Academy when he turns 16.“Amar has been training at Barnet and we’ll see where that goes,” he said.“He’s obviously someone who we will keep an eye on, but until he’s 16 you can’t get a player to sign for a professional club unless they are locals.”Lewis was picked out by West Ham Under-13 coach Mark Phillips as the most promising player at the Hammers’ on-Island training camp three years ago, and subsequently invited for trials.The ex-Dandy Town youth player could also spend his school holidays training with Ilkeston’s Academy to further develop his game.Ilkeston recently forged close links with Bermuda Hogges and have four Islanders — Antwan Russell, Lejuan Simmons, Rai Simons and Dante Leverock — on their books.“We might even get Amar to Ilkeston during he’s school holidays so he can train everyday,” added Scope.“At the moment I’ve just been arranging training sessions for Amar so he can keep in shape and realise what the standard is like in England.“I’ve been using my contacts at Barnet and Ilkeston to get as many of our guys looked at by these clubs.“However, until a player is 16 they can’t really be considered for any Academy.”Bermuda winger Damon Ming had a brief spell at Barnet, who play in the Conference Premier, in 2004-2005 under then manager Fairclough.