The Southampton striker admits he is still in shock after his surprise inclusion in Roy Hodgson's Three Lions squad for the upcoming friendlies against Chile and Germany
The 24-year-old’s only previous experience of international football was a solitary substitute appearance for the England Under-21s two years ago but he has now been drafted in to the full squad for friendlies against Chile and Germany.
Rodriguez told Southampton’s official website that he was still reeling from the news, admitting: “Words can’t describe [the feeling] – I’m obviously still shocked. It’s a bit surreal.
“It’s been important for me to concentrate on my football and improving as a player, and hopefully this will improve me massively.
“I’ve been focused on my club games and my performances there, so I had to keep my feet on the ground and keep working on that.
“Now I just can’t wait to get among the lads and be a part of it.”
Rodriguez is joined in the Three Lions squad by fellow Saints Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana and believes that the call-ups are a testament to the progress made by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
“It’s unbelievable for the club,” he continued. “It just shows the direction we’re going in and the ambition and vision we’ve got.
“We have so many international players now, so it’s a really good place to be and a good thing to be part of.
“It’s always nice if you know someone there [the England squad], but Rickie has said before that the lads make you welcome there. It’s something to look forward to and I’m just excited to get started.
“The most important thing at the moment is the game on Saturday, so we’ve got to keep our heads on for that and keep concentrating – but this is a dream come true, so you obviously can’t help thinking about that.
“It’s a really good feeling, but I still feel I’ve got a lot to improve on in my game – and that’s what I want to do.
“I’ll keep my head down, work hard and I’ll keep taking on these challenges.” ------------- goal.com
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