SOUTHAMPTON Football Club has made one of their most important signings of the season by adopting Premier Soccer School's Academy courses as their official Development Centres. The announcement means that youngsters on the Premier Soccer Development Centre at Andover now have a real chance of being involved with a Premier League Club. Under the agreement, centres at Andover, Hook, Woking, Bracknell, Billingshurst, Farnborough, Liphook and Feltham will recommend their most promising young players to Southampton FC's Academy, which provides a training and games programme for youngsters. Malcolm Elias, head of recruitment for Southampton FC's Academy, celebrated the new alliance and said: "Premier Soccer Schools are an important part of Southampton Football Club's recruitment policy and we are delighted to have formalised this arrangement." The Development Centres have been set up as an extension of Premier Soccer Schools, run by former Southampton defender Steve Wood, which now boasts nearly 100 courses for youngsters throughout the south. Mr Elias said: "The Premier Soccer Development Centres will provide first class opportunities and a direct route into the club's Academy set up." Steve Wood added: "Many youngsters dream of the chance to play in the Premiership but ensuring they get the correct guidance is as important as spotting their talent in the first place. "We could not place our youngsters in better hands than at Southampton." Selection for the centres is made in a variety of ways, including scouting at junior team games and attendance at courses run by Premier Soccer Schools. Any parent or team manager wishing to recommend a player for selection to the Development Centres should write to Premier Soccer School, 246 High Street, Aldershot, Hampshire, or telephone 01252 350066.