Gillingham's Trinidad and Tobago international defender Ian Cox is delighted to have been drawn in the same World Cup group as England.
The Soca Warriors were drawn as the final team in Group B and Cox is delighted with the draw, he said: "I think it is great news. If you had asked anyone associated with Trinidad and Tobago who they would have wanted in their group, England would have been one of the teams they would have liked. There are so many connections with England and they are also one of the superpowers of the footballing world. Everyone is over the moon.
"I think it is a great achievement for everyone involved with Trinidad and Tobago. Nobody would have believed this six months to a year ago. Against all the odds, we have managed to pull it off. In that respect, it is a great, great achievement. We want to go there and enjoy the experience, but we know we just cannot go there and make the numbers up."
Cox, whose mother is from Tobago, is looking forward to having the opportunity to play on the world stage, he said: "It cannot come quick enough for me, it really can't. In the same vein though, I do realise there is a lot of hard work to be done before that. I am not one to rest on my laurels. One dream has been achieved, the next dream is to be selected for the squad for the World Cup.
"If I don't perform well here, then I will not be going, that is the bottom line. I have to make sure I am on my mettle here, and hopefully, with the grace of God, I will be able to sneak a place in the squad."
Fellow Gills defender Brent Sancho is also a Trinidad and Tobago international, and Cox is happy to see his team-mate back in the Gillingham squad, as well as hoping they can go to Germany together next year, he said: "Brent Sancho is a very good player. It has been a sad situation but it has now been resolved and everyone can get on. Brent and myself watched the draw at my house. We kept on saying that we think we are going to get in England's group. It was just joy and we were over the moon to get drawn in England's group. It was also nice to get a mention on the TV. During the week I said to Brent that it wouldn't surprise me if we got England. He said that he had the same feeling. When it came out, it was so ironic that we had that feeling and then it came out.
Finally, Cox was asked if he would rather win promotion to the Championship with the Gills or score the winning goal against England in the World Cup, he remarked: "How about both? That would be a dream scenario for me!"