Lyndon Dykes, the Birmingham City striker, is counting down to Scotland's first World Cup since 1998. For him, playing in a major tournament has long been a dream, and missing out on last year's European Championships was a harsh reality check.
However, with his side, Scotland, guaranteed an automatic qualification spot after an unbeaten run in Group C, the 30-year-old striker is now fixated on helping his team reach the pinnacle of international football - the World Cup.
A win against Greece in Piraeus on Saturday and a victory over Denmark at Hampden Park three days later would secure Scotland's participation in next summer's finals.
This World Cup qualification has become an all-or-nothing situation for Dykes, as he hopes that his efforts will help ease the pain of being denied his chance to play in Europe.
The striker believes playing in a World Cup is "the pinnacle of your career," and he's willing to do whatever it takes to make his national team dream a reality.
Dykes is now focusing on securing Scotland's automatic qualification, acknowledging that there will be pressure coming into the next two games. However, with his side having demonstrated resilience in their qualifying campaign so far, Dykes believes that they have what it takes to succeed.
As for his teammates, Dykes says they've "grown from" being in a tense situation during last year's European Championships play-off against Serbia and are now ready to face the World Cup challenge.
However, with his side, Scotland, guaranteed an automatic qualification spot after an unbeaten run in Group C, the 30-year-old striker is now fixated on helping his team reach the pinnacle of international football - the World Cup.
A win against Greece in Piraeus on Saturday and a victory over Denmark at Hampden Park three days later would secure Scotland's participation in next summer's finals.
This World Cup qualification has become an all-or-nothing situation for Dykes, as he hopes that his efforts will help ease the pain of being denied his chance to play in Europe.
The striker believes playing in a World Cup is "the pinnacle of your career," and he's willing to do whatever it takes to make his national team dream a reality.
Dykes is now focusing on securing Scotland's automatic qualification, acknowledging that there will be pressure coming into the next two games. However, with his side having demonstrated resilience in their qualifying campaign so far, Dykes believes that they have what it takes to succeed.
As for his teammates, Dykes says they've "grown from" being in a tense situation during last year's European Championships play-off against Serbia and are now ready to face the World Cup challenge.
. It was like, this huge deal for Scotland, you know? And then we miss out on Euro 2020... it's crazy how fast time flies! Lyndon Dykes is just so pumped up to be part of that World Cup magic again, and I get it. The thought of playing in the biggest stage for your country must be a real dream come true 
. And I love how he says "the pinnacle of your career"... yeah, I can see why that would be super motivating for him. Let's hope Scotland makes it through without any major hiccups... those last two games are gonna be intense! 
! 30 years old is still pretty young, lyndon dykes might just be able to do it... i mean, he already scored a hat trick in their last game, so what's gonna stop him? 
and 2 more wins and they're golden 
. the pressure's on, but i think scotland's got the squad for it... been watching them play, and they've definitely shown some resilience 
. gotta root for the home team now!σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ
. Don't get me wrong, I love watching football and want them to do well, but is everyone forgetting that they only won one game in their qualifying campaign? 
They were lucky to have gotten through with an unbeaten run in Group C. And Greece isn't exactly a top-tier opponent... 
Still, I suppose it's great for Lyndon Dykes' career and all that. He seems like a determined player, but we'll see how he performs under pressure 
. Can't wait to see how they do against Denmark! 
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. And what's with all these players counting down until their "dream" comes true? Is it really worth risking everything for a few weeks of football excitement? 
I mean, what about their personal lives, family, and well-being? It seems like football has become an all-consuming beast 
... and I'm not sure I like the sound of that 
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. Lyndon Dykes seems like a really driven player, his desire to play in a World Cup is palpable and I love how focused he's being on this now 
. It'll be interesting to see how the team performs under pressure but with their run so far, I'm optimistic they can pull it off 
! I'm loving Lyndon Dykes' determination - it's inspiring to see him go all-in for his national team. Two wins in a row would be massive, securing those tickets to Qatar 
Denmark and Greece won't know what hit them! The atmosphere at Hampden Park is gonna be electric 
I'm thinking Scotland's got this, their qualifying run has been solid so far. Bring on the World Cup 
! Lyndon Dykes is a total legend for his dedication, you know? He's always talking about how playing in a big tournament means everything to him and I get it - who wouldn't want to experience that level of football? 