CHRISTINA Gaskin has expressed her delight and excitement after being selected in the preliminary Great Britain basketball squad.

Gaskin - who last played for Britain in 2014 - has been named in a squad of 23 for next month’s Eurobasket qualifiers against Italy and Albania.

And the former Greensward Academy pupil is thrilled to have been included.

“I am very excited to have been named in the preliminary GB squad,” said Gaskin, 23.

“Having taken a hiatus from competitive basketball for a little while I was working in New York City, it truly does feel great to be back competing.

“There are a lot of very good athletes, as well as some great friends, named in the squad.

“And, after only really being back competing for six months, I feel very grateful to be included.”

But Gaskin - who lives in Hockley and grew up playing for the Southend Swifts - has also had to fight her way back from injury to be included after suffering a serious knee problem during a previous call up for her country.

“The last time I was at a Great Britain camp was with the senior women in 2014 but unfortunately, a few days prior to selection, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament and was forced out for quite some time,” recalled Gaskin, who has 55 caps for her country.

“So for that reason alone, mentally, it’s great to be under consideration again and I’m really happy about it all.”

But, since her last international involvement, Gaskin’s game has also been significantly boosted by playing stateside.

Gaskin studied and played basketball at Fordham University in New York City.

And she remains incredibly grateful to have enjoyed such an ‘eye-opening’ opportunity which she believes greatly benefitted her game.

“New York is a great city to live in as a young and ambitious individual,” said Gaskin.

“There’s so much diversity and vibrancy and collegiate basketball was a wonderful and very eye-opening experience.

“Basketball in the US has a tremendous amount of funding.

“But the caveat to that is that it’s an extremely high pressure environment.

“That creates a win at all costs mentality.

“It took me a long time to appreciate basketball as a business.

“But, all in all, I met some wonderful people, travelled a lot and escaped debt free from university, which I am immensely grateful for.”

However, Gaskin has now returned home to Hockley and has opted to continue her basketball career in familiar surroundings.

“I am now playing my club basketball with Barking Abbey Crusaders,” said Gaskin.

“We compete in the WBBL and this is where I played prior to leaving for the US,” said Gaskin.

“It really does feel like things have really gone full circle for me.”

Gaskin will now be hoping to be able to help Britain secure success on court.

But only victory in Italy will sustain their chance of qualification as just the group winners and six of the nine group runners-up can be sure of making it to next June’s Eurobasket finals.