Tuesday 30 August 2016 16:04, UK
England new boy Michail Antonio says he is "grateful" for the call-up and now needs to prove he belongs at international level.
The in-form West Ham winger has already scored twice this season and was the only uncapped player to be named in new manager Sam Allardyce's first squad.
And Allardyce has made it clear to the 26-year-old that his place in the squad for Sunday's World Cup qualifier is well-deserved.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Antonio said: "I'm settling in quite well, it is just nerve-wracking a little bit because I didn't expect this so early in my Premier League career. I'm definitely looking forward to it.
"When I first came and spoke to the gaffer, I said I was very grateful for the opportunity. He said 'there is no need to be grateful and if you look at your stats and what you have done, you deserve to be here'.
"But obviously I'm very grateful and I just believe that I need to make him proud and show everyone out there that I have got the ability and I can do it."
Antonio began his career with Tooting & Mitcham, and was loaned out to a series of clubs during his subsequent spell at Reading, before impressing with Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest and now West Ham.
"I have got 26 nieces and nephews and it is good to show them you can always do anything if you put your mind to it," he said.
"To pick someone like me from my background, it is a risk, but the gaffer has shown his belief in me and now I have got to show it to the world. One thing I have always believed in is to never give up.
"Always have belief in yourself that you can achieve things, anything is possible in life. Once I reach one target, I always search for another, and I went from non-league to Reading.
"I kept going out on loan because I wasn't getting much time at Reading. Then I went to Sheffield Wednesday and then Nottingham Forest and I managed to get to West Ham, where I always wanted to be - the Premier League.
"Then I said to myself 'become an international'. Now I've done that, I've got to set myself a new target."
Antonio learned he was in the squad after Sunday's 3-1 loss at Manchester City and thought a prank was afoot at first.
"I did an interview at the end of the game and I came in and the physio went over to me and said 'you've been called up.' I said 'Ha, funny'," he recalled.
"He said 'No, seriously.' I said 'good banter' but I looked at him for a good 30 seconds and he looked at me.
"I wasn't sure I could take him seriously but he showed me a piece of paper (confirming the squad) and after that I started welling up inside.
"All I wanted to do was call my missus. Obviously, she didn't pick up!"
