HAILED as a hero in his native Trinidad and Tobago, World Cup defender Dennis Lawrence hopes the people of Swansea will be next to fall in love with him.
Delivering promotion to the Championship won't quite earn him the huge adulation he received in his homeland for helping steer minnows Trinidad to their first World Cup finals appearance.
But Lawrence - who makes his Swansea debut tomorrow after completing a £75,000 move from Wrexham - is keen to bring more happiness to football followers after seeing the effect getting to Germany 2006 had on his countrymen.
Forget keeping David Beckham, Michael Owen and the other Three Lions stars quiet for 83 minutes during Trinidad's monumental World Cup meeting with England.
Forget the heroic scoreless draw against Sweden.
It was that huge outpouring of emotion on the streets of Trinidad that Lawrence says he truly won't ever forget.
"My life has changed since the World Cup," said 32-year-old Lawrence, who earned his nation a place among the world's elite by netting the winning goal in a qualifier against Bahrain.
"Wherever I go, lots of people come up to me wanting to talk about what it was like. That's all good.
"The World Cup was a fantastic experience. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It's something I wish every professional footballer could have the opportunity to be part of.
"The football was fantastic, but it isn't the England game or any of the others that really sticks in my mind. It was what the whole thing did for Trinidad that was unbelievable.
"In particular, it was what happened back home when we qualified for the World Cup.
"It was the first time I've ever seen my entire country come out as one. That will stick with me for as long as I live.
"And the country was delighted for us after we gave ourselves a good showing during the competition. We showed we can play football.
Lawrence, who played in all three of Trinidad's Group B matches in Germany, added, "After the World Cup, the squad went back to Trinidad at the request of the Prime Minister as he wanted to honour the players and the team.
"That was good of the government. For a tiny nation like Trinidad, and the problems the country had with crime and so on, it was something we needed. It gave the country a bit of a lift and hope to so many young people.
"It just goes to show how powerful sport can be."
Lawrence was adored by Wrexham supporters almost as much as he was by Trinidad followers.
A £100,000 Brian Flynn signing from Jamaican outfit Defence Force in February 2001, the 6ft 7in totem-pole defender earned cult status at the Racecourse, making more than 200 league appearances for the Dragons.
Swans boss Kenny Jackett hopes the experience Lawrence garnered in North Wales - together with his international exploits - can now be put to good use at the Liberty Stadium as he seeks to plug the leaks in his defence.
Lawrence will go straight into the side - probably for fellow Trinidad cap Kevin Austin - at home to Doncaster tomorrow as the Swans continue their hunt for their first win of the new season.
He said, "I've learned a lot at Wrexham and through playing international football. Hopefully, I can pass on that experience to the Swansea players.
"I certainly feel I've come back from the World Cup a wiser player.
"International football is obviously different from the Football League - it's all about keeping possession of the ball a bit more - but I'll pass on bits and bobs I feel will be useful.
"Moving to Swansea was a difficult one because I'd spent five and a half quality years at Wrexham and my family was settled there. I made a lot of friends there and the fans were brilliant.
"But Swansea is a massive club that's going places and I'm delighted to be here.
"I know the team hasn't got off to the best of starts, but we're only three games into the season. There's a long way to go.
"There's more than enough talent here for the club to start climbing up the table.
"But a win against Doncaster at the weekend would be fantastic for the whole of Swansea."
Lawrence hopes to carry on representing Trinidad, his long absences on international duty often a source of much consternation for his former Wrexham boss Denis Smith.
Swans left-back Tom Williams has also joined the jet-setting brigade after earning his first cap for Cyprus, the country his mother comes from, in Wednesday's friendly in Romania.
But Jackett, said, "All of the games will be in designated international weeks.
"So there are no clashes with any of our games. Neither player will compromise their position at Swansea by going away on international duty."