We have an excellent chance to reach Brazil, says Reggae Boy Elliot
Mexico City, Mexico – Bristol City midfielder Marvin Elliott is of the firm belief that this generation of Reggae Boyz have an excellent opportunity to create history by qualifying for the Brazil World Cup Finals next summer.
Elliott, who made his debut for Jamaica away to Honduras on October 11, 2011 in a central midfield role, appears set for a second international cap when his team faces heavy favourites Mexico at the Azteca Stadium at 8:30 pm (9:30 pm Jamaica time) tomorrow in the opening round of the final phase of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying series.
“It sounds brilliant (playing in the World Cup Finals in Brazil) and we have an opportunity to make it happen and not remain a dream,” Elliott said yesterday.
The towering player, who stands at 1.83 metres and tips the scale at 76.64 kg, was born in Wandworth, England, but his parents are from Westmoreland and St Elizabeth.
He added: “We got to the final phase and that is brilliant, but that is not Brazil. Brazil is the target and we are not there as yet, it starts on Wednesday.”
Elliott was given the crucial central defensive midfield role in head coach Theodore Whitmore’s starting team in Monday’s training session at the Centro de Capacitacion (Mexico Football academy).
And the man who has netted 20 goals in 216 appearances for Bristol City, revealed that there was some amount of ill-effects from the session. “We could feel it a little bit, we were breathing a little heavy, which wouldn’t happen normally for an exercise like that,” he explained.
Elliott came up through the Millwall Academy and made his first appearance on April 16, 2003 against Nottingham Forest. He signed for Bristol City on July 30, 2007, and impressed his fellow professionals, being named in the PFA Team of the Year. He also won Bristol City’s Young Player of The Year award in his first year at the club.
Mexico are the perennial champions of the CONCACAF region and Elliott is well aware of what to expect of them.
“The obvious player that stands out is Chicharito, (Javier Hernandez who plays for Manchester United), and there is Giovani Dos Santos, who has played at Tottenham Hotspur, and who I have played against, so we know enough about them,” he said.
