The trip of a lifetime and perhaps the start of a wonderful career as three of New Zealand's best young soccer players fly to the UK this week.

Wayne Rooker, Jack Pelter and Prince Quansah leave for a month of football with English Premiership club Bolton Wanderers, the waiting finally over after being selected last year by Bolton Academy Chief Chris Sulley.

As a key part of an official relationship between New Zealand Soccer and the club, the three will be the first of many to get exposed to a professional football environment, in an effort by New Zealand Soccer to provide career opportunities for it's best youngsters.

The three will be accompanied by NZ Soccer High Performance Manager Ricki Herbert, as he too looks to gain vital experience from the trip: "Primarily this is about the boys, making sure they are looked after and make the most of what is a gilt-edged opportunity. However, I will also be looking at the club from a systems and management point of view, having a close look at their coaching structures and styles to bring back anything that can be of assistance to our programmes here in New Zealand.

"Our Academy Programmes are gaining recognition for their high levels of excellence, this is one way of ensuring we stay right up with the latest in coaching philosophy and technology."

Upper Hutt-based Rooker (still at St Pat's (Silverstream) College), Christchurch-based Pelter (CHBHS) and MAGS-based Quansah will leave with Herbert for England on Wednesday evening.

Rooker actually returns with the NZ Secondary Schools representative team at Easter when they are due to meet English Colleges and Welsh Colleges, plus FAI Schools and Northern Ireland Schools.