Danny Ings has revealed his England call-up came as a bolt from the blue and said he had no hint he was about to be chosen by Roy Hodgson.
Liverpool forward Ings could make his international debut in the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania after being named in the squad for the first time.
The former Burnley forward, who joined Liverpool in the summer and has scored three goals in his last four games, had been planning to use the international break to see relatives.
"I didn't expect it whatsoever and that was the best part about it," he said. "I was planning on visiting family back home but this is another massive moment in my career and another marginal gain. Things like this give me great confidence moving forward.
"It was just a text from one of the secretaries at the FA. They sent a group text out. I didn't expect it at all, so it was a huge moment for me. It is every boy's dream and now that I have got the call, I want to build on it and progress again."
Ings has won 13 England under-21 caps and, when training at St George's Park, it has given him the chance to talk to Hodgson.
"I have spoken to him a few times," he added. "He has come over to us after games and had a chat. He seems like a really, really top manager and I can't wait to work with him and the rest of the staff."
Ings was released by Southampton as a schoolboy and played non-league football before graduating to the Premier League with Burnley last season and then moving on to Liverpool.
"I will always back myself to achieve what I can achieve," he said. "It is all down to me. My biggest competition has always been myself, how I develop and how I learn. That is how I have been at any level, whether it was semi-pro at Dorchester Town or here at Liverpool."