Michael Dawson was already dreaming of marking Lionel Messi ahead of his and Tottenham's Champions League debut against Young Boys.
Although the 26-year-old, who is expected to lead out Spurs at the Stade de Suisse, insisted he was taking nothing for granted against the Swiss minnows, he could not help but turn his attention to the lucrative group stage and possible clashes against the likes of Barcelona.
Dawson, whose Champions League experience has until now been restricted exclusively to the armchair, said: "There are so many games you watch and to play against the best players in the world - Messi and players like that - would be fantastic and a great test."
Tuesday night's match continues a career-changing six days for Dawson, who made his England debut against Hungary last Wednesday.
"It's been a special week for me," he said.
"To get my England debut was a dream. It's been a long wait but I loved it.
"It's been a fantastic week and hopefully a week tomorrow night we'll have achieved getting into the group stages."
Dawson spoke of his pride at the prospect of skippering Spurs in Bern, saying: "Whenever I lead the team out or wherever I walk out in a Tottenham shirt, it's a fantastic feeling."
Source: PA
