SWANSEA CITY defender Kevin Austin admits playing in next year's World Cup in Germany would be "a dream come true".
The 32-year-old Londoner has played for Trinidad and Tobago, qualifying through his parents.
The "Soca Warriors" will rub shoulders with the likes of Brazil, Italy and Argentina in the 2006 finals if they overcome Bahrain in next month's World Cup two-legged play-off.
And, if Trinidad and Tobago do make it to Germany, Austin is hoping his displays for the League One promotion-chasers will earn him a place in Leo Beenhakker's squad.
The Hackney product - who can play at left-back and centre-back - has made one outing for the Warriors, back in 2000.
Despite playing a key role in Swansea's promotion last season and their rise up the League One ladder this term, Austin has been inexplicably ignored by his country.
"I've not given the Trinidad and Tobago thing too much thought because, the way I see it, if I'm not picked then I'm not good enough to be in the team," said the former Leyton Orient, Barnsley, Cambridge and Bristol Rovers player.
"But to be involved in the World Cup would be absolutely brilliant. It would be a dream come true for me."
Austin's exclusion is bizarre, considering Beenhakker calls up Dennis Lawrence, who is playing League Two football at Wrexham, and Gillingham duo Brent Sancho and Ian Cox, who play for a side struggling at the foot of League One.
"I haven't got a clue if the current manager knows about me or not," said Austin, a regular in Kenny Jackett's line-up.
"Maybe he does know about me. Maybe he's got better players than me to pick from. Maybe he's looking at different ideas, I don't know.
"All I can do is work hard at Swansea, hold my place down here and see where that takes me.
"My loyalties are with Swansea, to stay in the team and do well. Anything else on top of that is a bonus."
Austin's one and only appearance for the Warriors came in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Panama in Port of Spain in November 2000.
He would surely have played more games for Trinidad and Tobago had he not been sidelined by an achilles tendon injury picked up on international duty in the Cayman Islands.
"When I did play for Trinidad and Tobago, I enjoyed it immensely. If it comes about again, then I'll think about it," Austin went on.
"I got injured the last time I was involved with them and perhaps that scared them off.
"I'm just knuckling down and trying to do my best for Swansea because if I'm not doing well for Swansea then I've got no chance of playing for Trinidad and Tobago again."
Austin's immediate thoughts are not on regaining his international place but on keeping Wayne Allison quiet in today's league clash with fifth-placed Chesterfield at the Liberty Stadium.
After picking up one point from the last nine, the likeable defender is looking for the Swans to return to winnings ways.
"If this is our bad spell, we'll take it. We're not panicking about our last few results because I don't think we've played badly in those games," he remarked.
"We've stuttered a little bit recently, but we're still third. We won 5-2 at Walsall and we beat Bristol City 7-1 at home, but I'd be surprised if we do that again.
"You can't get those results, week in, week out. The teams in this division are too good.
"We deserved to beat Bristol City on the day, but every season you see a freak result and that was it.
"I'm not surprised we're doing well because we believe in ourselves and we know we're a good side.
"But I'm surprised at the number of goals we've scored and that we've won games 5-2 and 7-1."
Austin played mainly left-back last season, but has mostly operated in the heart of defence this season.
"Beating Chesterfield would be a massive win. Ideally it would be nice to keep a clean sheet and get a few goals," he smiled.
"Chesterfield will be a tough test. Allison is a physical player and a good striker.
"But I relish the challenge of playing against good players. That's why I came to the club."