Boreham Wood club captain Sam Cox has described his international debut as an unbelievable experience which he will remember for the rest of his life.

Cox feared he could miss out on his chance to make his first appearance for Guyana after being ruled out of the first leg of their World Cup qualifier against St Vincent and the Grenadines, due to a delay in receiving his Guyanese citizenship.

But the former Barnet midfielder finally secured his Guyana passport and marked his international bow on Monday by winning man-of-the-match as he set up two goals in their 4-4 home draw in the return leg.

Guyana were agonisingly knocked out on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw but the 24-year-old was ecstatic to win his first cap.

Cox, who played at right-back for Guyana, said: “It was a fantastic feeling. To get my first international cap is something I will never forget and is a proud moment for me.

“To have made my debut with the performance I did, I couldn’t have asked for much more.” He added: “I have met family members I’ve never seen before and overall it’s been an unbelievable experience.

“The atmosphere was outstanding with music being played during the match and the crowd were a lot more vibrant.”

The only disappointment was Guyana’s near miss after being eliminated in the second round of the CONCACAF qualification process for the 2018 World Cup but Cox insists the future is bright for the country.

He said: “It was a huge disappointment not qualifying for the next round but we have a talented group with players such as Neil Danns and Matthew Briggs so it’s a great little squad. Guyana football is defintely on the up.”

Wood team-mate Ricky Shakes scored his third international goal in the first leg 2-2 draw and also came off the bench in the return game.

The start of Cox’s international career has capped an unforgettable summer after leading Boreham Wood to promotion following the Conference South play-off final triumph last month.

The versatile midfielder said: “I haven’t really had the time to let it all sink in yet with being away on the training camp but it is an unbelievable achievement.

“We have gone down in the history books as it’s the highest the club has ever been but we are more than capable of making the step up.”

Cox sees no reason why the club cannot hold their own in the newly-named National League but thinks manager Ian Allinson does need to strengthen the squad before the start of the season.

He said: “We have kept the core of the team together but it is imperative to make some signings.

“I think we need to add a bit more experience to the group but I’ve played at the level before and believe the players we have can hold our own in the division.”