The Southampton striker was suspended for the final game of the season when his side lost to Manchester United and were relegated from the Premiership, but now has a chance to stake a claim in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s plans ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Crouch admitted he has mixed feelings and said: "It was a massive boost for me to come away with England, but to be relegated left me gutted, especially for me as I was not involved on the last day of the season.

"It was hard to take, watching the lads go down, and I felt guilty about being sent off the week before. We left ourselves a big task playing United in the final game but as it worked out we would have stayed up if we had won, so it is hard to take."

Now Crouch has a chance to impress the England coach and says he can hardly believe it.

"I've been involved with the Under-21s (below) before but at the start of the season I would have said 'you're mad' if you had said I would be on a tour of England at the end of the season.

"Things happen quickly in football. In the second half of the season I hit a good vein of goal-scoring form and thought I was playing as well as I have ever played.

"If you look at the strikers in the England squad at the moment, I am definitely unique. I'm different to a lot of the other strikers here. I bring something different and I think that's what the manager is looking for."

His height (6ft 7ins) is one obvious difference, but Crouch is keen to point out that he scores as many goals with his feet as with his head.

"My height is an asset. But I'd like to think I can hold the ball up well and bring other players into play as well. If it is hard to break teams down then I am a different option. It is not just lumping the ball into me.

"This season I've scored as many goals with my feet as with my head and I'd like to think there are both sides to my game. I feel I’ve got to perform in these two games to stake a real claim for a place.

"There are a lot of players unavailable but I am a unique striker and the manager has been quoted as saying he wants a bigger player alongside the other strikers. I'm hoping to fill that gap.

"I'll be trying my utmost to impress this week but the manager has pulled me to one side and said 'don't feel nervous or under pressure' because he can watch me all of next season as well. Now I am involved with England, I want to be a part of it all the time."

Crouch knows many of the players well from the England junior ranks and will feel at home alongside Andy Johnson against the United States. "He is a good lad and I've known him for years.

"I played with him at 14 and 15 with the England set-up. He has done superbly this season and scored a lot of goals. I always knew what a good player he was but he has proved himself to everyone else now. We are both buzzing to be involved."

Ironically Crouch had to cancel a planned holiday in America with his girlfriend when he was called up, but has no regrets. "I was due to be going to America the day we came away here but I was more than happy to cancel. My girlfriend was ok and we’ll probably go next week now!"