Long-term injury victim Keishon Smith has his heart set on being fit in time to play for Bermuda in their World Cup qualifying campaign.

The Devonshire Colts striker turned out in just four games this season, before suffering a foot infection which has stopped him from playing for for nearly four months.

Although still unable to run, Smith said he aimed to be playing again within five weeks and hoped to be involved in at least the second leg of Bermuda's first round World Cup qualifier against the British Virgin Islands in March.

Smith conceded he had suffered deep frustration sitting on the sidelines, but that his World Cup dream had kept his spirits up.

"What keeps me sane is the belief that I am going to be ready for the World Cup games and that I will still be able to accomplish my goal of becoming a professional,'' said Smith.

"Even if I miss the first game on March 5, I hope I will be ready for the second leg at home.'' The initial source of Smith's unusual injury was a small cut to his right foot caused by a rough edge on the inside of his football boot. The foot was then infected and poisoned by the dye from his football sock.

"It was a fluke,'' said Smith. "I can't really explain it. You expect to get injuries like a sprained ankle sometimes, but this took me right off.

"It was swollen right up for more than a month and I was worried about how long it took to start getting better.

"I can walk on it okay now and I've been in the gym trying to maintain my fitness. In two or three weeks, I'll be looking to be running again.

"I have been able to look at it (the injury) in a positive way. It's given me a rest I really needed and when I do come back I'll be fresh and really hungry.'' Smith added that technical director Clyde Best and national team coach Robert Calderon had called him regularly to check on his progress. And he had also attended team meetings and training sessions with club and country.

Last year, the 25-year-old forward capped an outstanding season, in which he helped Colts win both the FA Cup and the Friendship Trophy, with some superb displays for the national team.

In the Caribbean Cup qualifying tournament last May, he illustrated his value to the team with a hat-trick against the Cayman Islands and a stunning opportunist goal against a strong Cuba side.

That success earned Smith a 10-day trial last September with National Professional Soccer League team Kansas City, which he attended together with Vasco's Keith Jennings.

"They were forming a new team out there and things went pretty well and I was hoping for a call back, but I got injured,'' said Smith.

Fellow national squad members Meshach Wade and David Bascome also play in the NPSL, the US indoor league, both for Harrisburg Heat. Kansas are currently top of the Midwest Division and Smith is still hopeful of getting a contract with them after he has regained full fitness.

Smith believed Bermuda would do well in the World Cup, but felt they had the potential to be better if national team players had paid contracts with the BFA and so could concentrate fully on training.

"I feel we can go a long way, but a lot of games we don't do as well as we could,'' said Smith. "People have got to understand we have to get up and go to work, yet the guys we are playing against, their job is to play football and they get paid to train every day. It's hard for us to compete.'' Hungry for more: Keishon Smith celebrates one of his four goals for Bermuda in last May's Caribbean Cup qualifying tournament. Now he is desperate to get fit and play his part in the Island's World Cup campaign.