West Bromwich Albion junior academy representatives Sam Wilkinson and Steve Roberts have been in Dunedin for the past few days leading a skills session at King's High School.
It is not the first time scouts from the English club have made their way to New Zealand. They have been coming for the last five years but usually limit their trip to the North Island.
The club is committed to coming out to New Zealand to help promote the game and also to tap into local talent, Wilkinson said.
"We've been running these camps for about five years now, and if any of the local kids are deemed good enough, they get invited over to trial with the club," Wilkinson said.
"We get about three or four Kiwi lads a year come over and spend a fortnight or three weeks with the club. [All Whites striker] Chris Wood came through this programme and because of that West Brom has always been keen to keep the link with New Zealand.
"They see it as a bit of an untapped resource."
One lucky young lad from Auckland has been extended an invitation to trial with the club but no-one from Dunedin has made the cut, although Wilkinson said there were three of four promising players who would be attached to a club if they lived in the United Kingdom.
"The standard they are at is what we would expect at West Bromwich Albion."
For Wilkinson, the scouting trip feels like he has come full circle. He grew up in the North Island and had dreams of playing professionally. He played for Waikato FC and Auckland City in the national league and as a 16-year-old travelled to the UK to trial with Crystal Palace and Birmingham City. In his words he "was not quite good enough to make the grade".
"I always champion the cause of the New Zealand players, because I was in that position myself, about 12 years ago."
