A Brighton college have added a touch of Samba flair to their football squad.

Brighton and Hove Sixth Form College have signed Brazilian hot-shot Vinny Pereira.

Pereira, 16, comes from Goiania in the soccer-mad South American nation. He is a dead-ball specialist and has former Brazilian international Baltazar as his agent.

Pereira is in Sussex for a year to improve his English. He has already spent 12 months at Harvard University in America where he was named best player in the 1999 state championship .

He said: "I'm here for a year as an exchange student and I am playing for BHASVIC, but if any professional team wants me to play for them I would love to. I really want to become a professional player here, it's much better than in Brazil.

"I have an agent called Baltazar who used to play for Atletico Madrid, Celta Vigo and the Brazil national team.

"My favourite position is midfield and I think my strengths are passing and my vision. I practised free kicks a lot in Brazil and I scored goals for all my teams."

BHASIC top the English College Academies League South Division and are in the the last eight of the Schools and Colleges Under-19 Cup for the third year running.

Pereira was on target in the 3-0 home win over Chichester High School in the County Cup last week and they play Chichester Tech or The Weald in the next round.

For all Pereira's flair however, the South American is struggling to cope with the demands of the English game, and coach Alan Sanders explained he rarely gets a start.

Sanders said: "We are a very strong side and I have only used him as a sub. When he comes on he tends to score, he already has three goals this season.

"He is very good at free-kicks and he has scored two in about three attempts for us. He curls them right into the top corner. David Beckham would be proud of them.

"There are aspects of his game that he needs to improve. He is extremely skilful but he is just too lightweight at the moment for the English game. I already have Pat Harding and Lee Newman up front. Lee went to the England south east trials recently.

"Vinny might be able to make it as a professional in Brazil. He has certainly got a good agent, Chelsea have been in touch. But I suspect he will have to work on the other aspects of the game."