Matt Smith has been blown away by reaction from his teammates, and the MK Dons fans, to his FIFA World Cup selection.
They begin their campaign tonight at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium when they take on the United States of America (kick-off 7pm BST) and Smith knows he’ll have the support of his Club behind him both this evening and throughout the tournament – with the exception of Wales’ clash with England next week.
“The reaction has been fantastic from everyone here,” the 22-year-old told iFollow MK Dons. “It really means a lot to me.
“I've had some lovely messages on social media and it makes me feel proud to be a part of something here.
“To also be the first MK Dons player to go to a World Cup is an honour and when I retire, hopefully in a long time, I'll look back on this and the achievement with fond memories.”
Smith also added: “It was a dream of mine to go to a World Cup but you think it’s only a dream when you're a young boy. For it to come true, I'm just over the moon.
“I knew it would be difficult to get included in the squad, and that it would take a lot of hard work, so I just got my head down. When I knew I was in the squad, it was a sigh of relief.
“I had my family round me when it was announced and it was really nice to see their faces and to see how proud they are of me. It's such an amazing thing for me and my family to be involved in a World Cup.
“I just want to take everything in while I’m there and try to enjoy every moment. It's going to be a really good experience for me.”
On Wales’ chances at the tournament, Smith said: “We've got some really good players, and I feel like we can definitely do quite well in the tournament. We have the belief, and the camaraderie in the group so we're going there to get some results.”
