Thomas has been in outstanding recent form for Charlton Athletic and his first call-up to Peter Taylor's squad comes after his impressive performances have helped the Addicks get off to a superb start to the season.

"I'm enjoying the experience of being with the U21s a lot," Thomas told TheFA.com. "Everyone has taken to me so far and it has been made a bit easier by the fact that I know a few players already, like Carlton Cole and Anton Ferdinand."

Thomas has plenty of experience at youth level with England, having won 12 caps for the U20s as well as four for the U19s and two for the U17s.

"I always saw the youth system working as a natural progression," Thomas continued. "I started playing for England when I was very young and made it through to the U20s but there it stopped.

"I played for them for a while but at the time I might have made it through to the U21s I was in the Arsenal reserves and all the U21 players had first team experience. It has come now and I have a great opportunity.

"It's better late than never that I have made it and now I just have to show I am worth my place in the squad."

Thomas has plenty of happy memories from his years playing for England and it was a European U19 Championship qualifier that sprung most readily to mind when asked about his favourite game for the Three Lions.

"I've had a few good games for England that I remember," Thomas said. "There was one game against Germany in 2002 which was particularly good.

"It finished 3-3, I got the second goal and I was playing alongside players like Jermaine Jenas, Glen Johnson and Gary O'Neil."

A product of the Arsenal youth system, the Brent-born winger never got to play for the Gunners in the Premiership and as such moved across London to The Valley during the 2003/04season.

Since that move Thomas has flourished and last season he played 24 times in the Premiership, scoring three times. The form he showed that season has carried on into this and Thomas insists the reason for his success is simple.

"I've just been given a chance at Charlton," he explained. "I was never really given that opportunity at Arsenal so there was no way for me to show what I could do in the Premiership.

"So I went to Charlton, worked hard in training and just waited for my chance. When I got that chance I took it, ran with it and haven't looked back since.

"From my debut last year I played more than 20 games on the spin so that shows if you get the chance to play you can make it.

"With every game you have to think more and more about your game because opposition managers and players get to know you a bit.

"I have tried to improve all the time and it's nice to know my progress is been looked at by England."