England's 2018 World Cup Bid Gets Boost From Gordon Brown

England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup is suddenly looking more positive following Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s meeting with FIFA vice-president Jack Warner.

Warner had previously seemed dismissive of England’s bid, deeming it “not aggressive enough” and “lightweight” but since meeting the PM in Trinidad on Friday he now seems convinced the World Cup should indeed be held in England for the first time since 1966.

"I was very impressed by his humility, his sincerity his knowledge of the game, and most importantly he didn't feel England had any divine right. He felt that England's time had come - a point to which I subscribed," Warner said, according to BBC Sport.

"He said, and I agreed with him, that England has the best infrastructure to stage the tournament and that after a 52-year gap this is England's time.

"It was an exceptionally good meeting - it was the best case I have heard for a long time about the World Cup being in England.

Explaining his apparent U-turn, Warner insisted he had merely intended to point bidders in the right direction and not to be negative.

"I was attempting to be constructive and I am sorry if people thought I was being destructive. But I was looking at the bigger picture and the bid seems to have new energy and impetus,” he said.

"The Prime Minister was able to take some the comments I made and promised to look into them. He was not thin-skinned at all.

Warner is now looking forward to meeting David Beckham in South Africa, the hosts of the competition in 2010, but he insists he is not becoming blinded by all the face to face time with such famous people.

He added: "I met the Prime Minister today and next week I will meet David Beckham in Cape Town. These are not for my ego, but they are the assets that the bid should be using and I am happy to see that they are being used."