What started out as just a normal day for a 17-year-old on his summer break in north London, completely turned on its head when the national coach announced his initial 23-man party which will travel to Germany.

Walcott, who earned a big money move to Premiership giants Arsenal from Southampton in January, is having a year that keeps getting better and better.

The man-of-the-moment said: "I was taking my driving theory test in Southgate yesterday, so I had to turn my phone off and put it in a locker.

"I turned it back on at three o'clock, phoned my dad, and he told me I was going to the World Cup - I couldn't believe it.

"At first I thought he was joking, so I was as shocked and surprised as everyone else. To get a move to Arsenal and then this is unbelievable."

Although Walcott is yet to taste the experience of Premiership football, he believes he is feeling the benefit of training every day with an Arsenal squad which has reached the final of the Champions League.

Now he is looking forward to travelling out to England's pre-World Cup training camp in Portugal next week, where he will get his chance to rub shoulders with an illustrious set of international team-mates.

Walcott added: "Sven is looking forward to watching me train in Portugal. Of course he's taken a gamble on picking me, but I've been training hard with world-class players every day, and I just want to improve.

"I've been to big stadiums like the Bernabeu in Madrid with Arsenal, and they don't get any bigger than that."

Walcott thanks his family for being by his side in his development, and will be rewarding them with a holiday in Germany this summer.

He said: "I was so shocked when I heard that I was in the squad that I couldn't say anything. My eyes were popping out of my head.

"I called my mum, dad and girlfriend and they loved it. They congratulated me and they're looking forward to going to Germany now.

"We all had a holiday booked but it's cancelled now - it's no big deal."