English based defender Sam Cox has described his international début as an unbelievable experience which he will remember for the rest of his life.
The Boreham Wood club captain almost missed out on making his first appearance for Guyana after being ruled out of the first leg of their World Cup qualifier against St Vincent and the Grenadines, due to a delay in receiving his Guyanese citizenship.
But the former Tottenham Hot Spur protégé finally secured his Guyana passport and marked his international bow on Monday by winning man-of-the-match as he set up two goals in their 4-4 home draw in the return leg.
Guyana was agonisingly knocked out on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw but the 24-year-old was ecstatic to win his first cap.
Cox, who played at right-back for Guyana, said that “It was a fantastic feeling. To get my first international cap is something I will never forget and is a proud moment for me”
The energetic defender added “to have made my debut with the performance I did, I couldn’t have asked for much more. I have met family members I’ve never seen before and overall it’s been an unbelievable experience”
Speaking about playing at the Guyana National Stadium, Cox pointed out “the atmosphere was outstanding with music being played during the match and the crowd were a lot more vibrant.”
The only disappointment was Guyana’s near miss after being eliminated in the second round of the CONCACAF qualification process for the 2018 World Cup but Cox insists the future is bright for the country.
“It was a huge disappointment not qualifying for the next round but we have a talented group with players such as Neil Danns and Matthew Briggs so it’s a great little squad. Guyana football is definitely on the up.” Said Cox
Wood team-mate Ricky Shakes scored his third international goal in the first leg 2-2 draw and also came off the bench in the return game.
The start of Cox’s international career has capped an unforgettable summer after leading Boreham Wood to promotion following the Conference South play-off final triumph last month.