Fairfield School pupil Xuan Loke (10) is off to London for an opportunity of a lifetime.
He has been picked to attend West Ham United's academy for two weeks next month, after impressing at camps in Dunedin and Auckland.
Loke will be there with 15 Australians aged 12 and 13. He was asked to travel with the Australian group by West Ham staff coach Harry Bingham, who is based in Melbourne.
Bingham has been heavily involved in Australia's talent identification programme in the past.
Bingham saw Loke in action at the Dunedin camp in July, and again in Auckland last month.
When a spot opened up in the group he is taking to London next month, he approached Loke's family.
King's High School academy director Malcolm Fleming, who struck up a partnership with the West Ham United Oceania Academy to hold camps at the school, said it was a good opportunity for Loke.
''He will go over there and train with the under-10s and under-13s,'' Fleming said.
''They will play games, he will get to see some Premier League games and junior games.
He will be taken into the academy by director Paul Heffer, who has been there for 32 years, and will do coaching with him and have a look what the real McCoy is like.
''They're not just sending out bunnies; they're trying to get the next Winston Reid from around this area.
Now that he is in the limelight, the next two or three years they will monitor him.''
Fleming, who h is heading to the London club for a coaching course in January, said Loke will not be the only Dunedin player to be invited to the club.
While players have not yet been informed, a group of New Zealanders, including some from Dunedin, will be invited to head to West Ham in February or March.
Players invited to the club have to cover the majority of the cost themselves, but those who impress could be invited back for a month in the future, with their families.
Dunedin, Hamilton and Auckland will host further camps for budding footballers to earn an invitation to West Ham early next year.
