Later this month World Cup fever will be gripping the country, but in Thailand it will be a different kind of World Cup that will be capturing the imagination - and it is a tournament that England will have a serious chance of winning.
The 2018 Seniors World Cup is taking place in Bangkok later this month and former Torquay United midfielder Alex Russell is one of the key performers that the Three Lions' tournament hopes rest on, as they seek to retain the title which they won last year.
Russell, 45, spent four successful years at Plainmoor between 2001 and 2005, after initially being brought to South Devon from Cambridge United by Roy McFarland, and they proved to be four highly successful years.
He won the club's Player of the Year award in the 2002-03 season, by which time McFarland had been replaced by Leroy Rosenior, helped the Gulls win automatic promotion from Division Three for the first time in 38 years in the 2003-04 campaign. Russell was also named in the PFA Third Division team of the year in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons - and he is the only Gulls' player to have achieved this feat twice.
After leaving United in 2005 to join Bristol City, he helped the Robins to win promotion to the Championship under Gary Johnson in the 2006-07 campaign. After leaving Ashton Gate in 2008, he then spent the bulk of the remainder of his playing career in the South West - taking in spells with Cheltenham Town, Exeter City, Yeovil Town and Bath City.
In more recent years he has turned out for Bristol Manor Farm and Clevedon Town in the Western League, after returning to playing following spells as assistant manager at Tranmere Rovers and Southport in his native North West and a stint as Bristol City Under-21 manager.
He was on target for England in their first warm-up game ahead of the tournament against Thailand B, which they won 4-0, and also amongst for the Three Lions were former Plymouth Argyle and Truro City striker Barry Hayles and ex Tiverton Town, Plymouth midfielder Mark Saunders.
Other squad members include Yeovil Town goalkeeper coach Steve Philips, ex Glovers boss and current Dorchester Town manager Steve Thompson and former Yeovil, Weymouth and Exeter winger Lee Elam.
