Former Exeter City striker Ollie Watkins has been rewarded for his fine form for his present club Aston Villa in the 2020-21 season with a call-up to Gareth Southgate's side for their forthcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
England are due to face San Marino on March 25, Albania on March 28 and then host Poland on March 31 - and Southgate will be looking to assess his selection options ahead of the summer's delayed Euro 2020.
Over the years - a number of players have forced their way into a tournament squad for the Three Lions within a year or so of a major and have gone on to make a big impact. Names that spring to mind include David Platt (Italia 90) and Michael Owen (France 1998) - and the opportunity is there for Watkins to force himself into Southgate's thoughts.
Since Watkins - who was born in Torquay, but grew up in Newton Abbot - left the Grecians for Brentford, for a club record fee received of £1.8million in 2017, his career has gone from strength to strength. He was named as the EFL Championship player of the year for the 2019-20 season after helping the Bees to reach the Championship play-off final in 2020, where they were beaten by Fulham, which proved to be his last game for them prior to his £28million move to the Villains.
Watkins has taken to the top-flight like duck to water, with a perfect hat-trick of a right footed, left footed strike and a header in a 7-2 win over reigning champions Liverpool being the highlight of what has been a hugely successful campaign for him on a personal level. He has also become the first Devon-born player to hit double figures in the top-flight since Trevor Francis achieved the feat with Manchester City in the 1981-82 season.
England squad:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Manchester United), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Nick Pope (Burnley).
Defenders: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jesse Lingard (West Ham, on loan from Manchester United), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton).
Forwards: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa).
