Michael, Congratulations on your call-up. How did it feel to hear you had been selected for the U-21's?

I was absolutely delighted, as you can imagine. It is a real honour to represent your country, and after only making 9 first team starts for Forest, it was amazing to hear from Paul Hart (Forest Manager) that David Platt had selected me.

At Forest you are currently playing alongside Des Walker who of course is a legend at the City Ground, and also Ricardo Scimeca who was capped nine times at U-21 level. How have they helped you settle into first team football?

Des has been a great help to me and always talks to me throughout the game. When you see what he has achieved in the game, you listen to the advice that he gives you and look to learn all the time. As a Central Defender you have to be vocal though, and I am also encouraged to yell at him if I think he needs to be aware of an opposition striker's position!

The Nottingham Forest manager Paul Hart also had a great career in your position, and made almost 600 league appearances. Who did you admire, and most admire currently in your position?

Being only 18, my hero is not too much older than me! Rio Ferdinand is the player I look up to and most admire. He has fantastic ability on the ball, is good in the air, and his all-round play - as someone coming into the game - is something that I very much aspire to.

Did you have a favourite team that you supported when you were at school?

If anyone it was Liverpool, but I also followed Nottingham Forest as my two brothers were also with the club at the time. I was playing junior football for Northallerton Town in North Yorkshire and was then asked to start coming down to Forest at weekends when I was 14, so I have been 'involved' with the club and followed their fortunes since then.

After such a successful beginning to your football career, what are your long- term ambitions in the game?

Well, at my age, I have plenty of time, and at the moment, I just want to keep playing for Forest, and getting more experience under my belt. To be selected by your country is such a brilliant bonus, so obviously in the future, to be selected for the England senior team and play alongside Rio, and also to win some silverware with Forest would be fantastic.

With Forest doing so well in the league at the moment, how do you rate your chances of maybe playing in The Premier League next year?

We have got off to a good start, and you have to believe in your ability as a squad to keep winning. We have a very young squad, that has put a good run together, and people like 'Prutts' (Under 21 team-mate and Forest club mate David Prutton - aged 21) is one of our more experienced players. At this stage though there is still a long way to go.

Is it encouraging to see so many players from the Nationwide League in the squad, and does that provide an inspiration for other players outside The Premier League?

Definitely. There are players from Forest, Wolves, Stoke, Portsmouth, York City and Brighton in the squad, and that will act as a real motivator for young players to see that they can get to play for their country if they are outside The Premier League.When you hear some of the players on the bus to training talking about trips to Carlisle, Cheltenham, Swindon and Bristol Rovers, it also shows how far players like Bobby (Zamora) and Karl (Henry) have come from playing in Division 2 last season with Brighton and Stoke, and how Russell has been spotted, even in Division 3. 

With David Platt formerly at the City Ground, had you met him before you joined up with the U-21 squad today?

I was only in my first year at Nottingham Forest when David was manager of the first team, but I did get to meet him a couple of times. He has been very good today in settling me in to the squad, and I want to get involved as much as possible.

Today, along with Steve Wigley and Les Reed he was encouraging me in our first training session, and already I feel comfortable in the set up. Obviously also having Prutts and Jermaine (Jenas) in the squad means that there is a small Forest connection here which helps.

When you look at what David achieved in the game though, you listen to what he says, and if I go away having picked up some more advice for my game, that can only benefit me and the club when I report back.

The England U21's take on Slovakia in Trnava on Friday 11th October, before taking on Macedonia at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday 15th October at 7.45pm.

TheFA.com will bring you further news from the U21 camp, as well as full reports on both fixtures over the coming week.