Port Vale manager Martin Foyle is backing Chris Birchall to shine at the World Cup - even if that means his flying winger, from Stafford, has played his last game for the club. Birchall's World Cup countdown begins in earnest this week, with Trinidad and Tobago playing a behind-closed-doors friendly against Austria Vienna tomorrow before facing John Toshack's Wales in a televised game in Graz on Saturday.
A solid showing from 22-year-old Birchall in Germany will increase his stock on the domestic level, and Foyle acknowledged it would be difficult to resist a decent offer for him.
He said: "We are a club that needs money and, financially, if someone did come in for him then he would probably go. I have never stood in the way of anybody going.
"Birchy has had a poor season with us in terms of injuries, but he started to pick up form at the right time and was playing well at the end of the season. He should be going to the World Cup flying."
Birchall and the rest of the Trinidad and Tobago squad spent last week training at a hotel just outside Chester before flying out to a camp at Bad Radkersburg in Austria.
Even though a good World Cup could see Birchall on his way, Foyle is hoping the youngster makes the most of the opportunity to play against some of the game's greats.
He said: "I would love to see Chris do well at the World Cup, even perhaps score against England.
"He is in the shop window and good luck to him.
"He is a Port Vale player. Whatever he manages to achieve, it gives the club a little bit more of a profile too, and then everybody can gain."
There was also backing for Birchall from Trinidad and Tobago coach Leo Beenhakker.
The former Dutch national coach who has also managed Ajax and Real Madrid, said: "It could be that Chris will start all the games in Germany as he has impressed me.
"He now has the experience of a number of international games and has grown in confidence. Chris has the talent and skill to make an impression at the World Cup."
Trinidad and Tobago begin their World Cup campaign with a Group B game against Sweden on June 10 in Dortmund. They face England in Nuremberg on June 15 and Paraguay in Cologne on June 20.