The central European team surprised many by winning their qualifying group which featured more established sides such as neighbours Czech Republic and Poland to reach the football showpiece for the first time as an independent state.
"As there are no big stars, we try to play like a team, everybody pulls together," Skrtel, much more softly spoken than his on-pitch persona would indicate, told Reuters in a telephone interview.
"Some people might say we can't do anything because we don't have players in the big teams...The main reason we qualified for the World Cup is that we play like a team. Everyone is happy they can play for Slovakia, that is the reason."
"I'm a defender, I have to be hard," he said. "In my private life I am the opposite to what I am on the pitch. In my private life I'm really quiet and nice...I'm completely different on the pitch."
"It's not an easy group but it's not the hardest," said 25-year-old Skrtel. "I think it is good for us we play New Zealand first.
"It's important to get three points in that game and then we will see. It's a big thing that we qualified, now I think we can do something good."
"In the last World Cup they were in top form. Now they have a lot of senior or older players, they still have quality and I think it will be very difficult for us but in football you never know," he said.
"It's a very long time I didn't play, it's two months to the World Cup but I hope I can get my good form and I can be ready for the World Cup."
"Almost nobody knows the Slovakia team or Slovak players, I hope that after the World Cup everybody will know how good we are," said Skrtel.
"It's a great chance for all our players because everybody is watching the World Cup, a lot of agents, a lot of managers. I will be very happy if due to the World Cup players in our team will play for good teams in Europe."
