Aston Villa winger and set-piece specialist Ashley Young has revealed how playing for England is fulfilling a hunger and desire he has harboured since he could first kick a ball.
And he admits he realises how fortunate he is to be pulling on a Three Lions shirt for England as his schoolboy dreams become a reality at Wembley tonight.
Young was given his debut cap under Steve McClaren but is thrilled to have been given another call-up under new coach Fabio Capello.
He said: "If you're an English lad you've just got to be determined to play for your country and that was what I always wanted. If you get a chance you've got to grab it with both hands and have the hunger and desire to do well."
The £10 million winger, who joined Villa from Watford just over 12 months ago, is one of a trio of Villa players who could start in England's friendly with Switzerland at Wembley tonight.
He joins goalkeeper Scott Carson and midfielder Gareth Barry who have both also been capped before Barry receiving his first call-up seven years ago.
While Martin O'Neill's young guns are celebrating the fact five players were actually called up to the provisional squad including Gabriel Agbonlahor who has had to withdraw with a hamstring injury and Curtis Davies who did not make them final 23 Villa have had a trio start for England before.
The last time was in November 2000 when Barry was in the side along with keeper David James and centre-half Gareth Southgate for the 1-0 defeat by Italy in Turin.
James, now with Portsmouth, also features in Capello's new squad which will be captained by Steven Gerrard for the first time tonight.
Villa historians have to go way back to February 1882 to finds the first time two Villa players received England call-ups together.
Howard Vaughton and Arthur Brown played in England's incredible 13-0 win over Ireland in Belfast with Vaughton scoring five goals and Brown four in that emphatic victory.
A Villa trio then played for England in 1920 when 136,000 fans saw Villa stars Sam Hardy, Andy Ducat and Charlie Wallace help England defeat Scotland 5-4 at Hampden and two years later Frank Moss, Billy Walker and Dicky York represented England in a 1-0 defeat against Scotland fittingly at Villa Park.
* Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov has withdrawn from Bulgaria's squad for tonight's friendly against Northern Ireland in Belfast.
Petrov suffered concussion late in Sunday's Barclays Premier League defeat by Fulham and could be doubtful for this weekend's home match against Newcastle United.
