Black Stars defender John Boye is relishing the opportunity to rub shoulders with the big boys to prove his mettle at the biggest stage of world football when the Black Stars partake in the 2014 Brazil World Cup later this summer.

The former Heart of Lions back-liner has made 7 appearances (5 of which are French Ligue 1 games) and lasted for 460 minutes for Rennes since his recovery from a six-month knee injury lay-off in February.

The 27-year-old feels fresh and fit after his return from the treatment room. “Now everything is fine and I have started playing so I am 100 percent fit and I am playing in most of the matches,” he said.

All things being equal, the centre-back, an integral member of the current Black Stars back-line is expected to make a World Cup debut appearance and he believes the stage is the best platform to measure his quality.

“Normally, if you go to the World Cup, it makes you great. It will help you know the level of quality you have because you are going to meet a lot of strikers and that is where you will see it yourself whether you are a good player or you are not a good player so it’s a challenge. I am just happy that I am going to meet those big strikers and big players,” Boye told Accra-based Power FM’s PSIM on Thursday.

Ghana’s provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup will be announced on May 12 with the Black Stars scheduled to begin a non-residential camping on May 23.

The squad will then begin rigorous training sessions in the Netherlands two days later and cap their first phase of preparations with a friendly against the Dutch national team in Rotterdam on May 31 before Coach Kwesi Appiah finalises his 23-man squad for Brazil by FIFA’s June 2 deadline for the submission of final squads for the world competition.