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FORGET Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney - the only international double act Dennis Lawrence is thinking about right now is Craig Bellamy and Ryan Giggs.


The Wrexham player's World Cup wish came true on Friday when his country Trinidad & Tobago were pitched into a group with England and their collection of Premiership millionaires.

The draw has ensured the 6ft 7in defender is going to be big news all the way to the finals in Germany next summer as he prepares for a Nuremburg trial from Rooney and co.

There is also the prospect of the strangest-ever World Cup collision and as many basketball jokes as you can suffer should Lawrence end up marking his fellow beanpole Peter Crouch on June 15.

But such thoughts can wait. What Lawrence wants now is a pre-World Cup fixture with Wales and the Soca Warriors heading to Cardiff or even his adopted Racecourse home.

FAW chief David Collins has already said that a home game with Trinidad & Tobago would "certainly be of interest" - and that has certainly gone down well with the Red Dragons favourite.

"I don't know what our plans are - I don't think people at home have stopped celebrating since our victory over Bahrain," said Lawrence, whose play-off winner took the tiny Caribbean nation to their first World Cup finals.

"But I think Wales would be a great game if it happens. They are as close to England as you can get and they have great players in Bellamy, Giggs and John Hartson.

"It would be a great test for us and obviously good for me as I play my club football in Wales.

"I would love it to take place and I just hope it comes off, but whatever happens, I'm sure a lot of people from Wales and Scotland - where we also have players - will be supporting Trinidad & Tobago when we play England.

"It's a great draw for us as you can't ask for anything bigger than England. I've played against Rooney before in the League Cup when he was at Everton.

"He scored two and he is one of the greatest talents in the world, and with England having players like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard we know it's going to be tough.

"But I just want to make the squad and play in the World Cup finals for my country."

For now, Lawrence is focusing on Wrexham's League Two promotion aspirations and it was Glynn Hurst and Mark DeBolla rather than Owen and Rooney who occupied his thoughts on Saturday.

At least they did until a minute before the break when Lawrence was forced off with a sore side.

The applause as he made his way off shows just what Wrexham folk think of their World Cup hero and most likely where their allegiances lie next summer.

"Playing England is not going to affect Dennis in the slightest," said Red Dragons boss Denis Smith who expects him to recover in time for Saturday's trip to Carlisle.

"He's strong-minded and will handle the attention without any problems.

"Handling Rooney and Owen would give most people a problem. But the one thing about Dennis is he'll believe he can."