Nathaniel Chalobah has become the first Watford player since John Barnes in 1987 to be called up to the England team.

While Scott Loach was drafted into the England squad on the back of Scott Carson pulling out due to a family bereavement in 2010, Chalobah is the first Hornet since Barnes to make the national manager's initial selection.

The summer recruit, who arrived at Vicarage Road from Chelsea for an initial £5million in July, has impressed during the early throws of the season, making the central midfield berth his own in the process.

An impressive showing at the Under-21 European Championships, where he helped the Young Lions to the semi-final where they lost on penalties to Germany, is also likely to have convinced Gareth Southgate to include the 22-year-old.

With 97 caps at various youth international levels, including 40 for the Under-21s, Chalobah has more than served an apprenticeship before earning his call to the senior set up.

His cause has benefitted from being a regular starter for a Premier League side and he will now hope to be involved in England’s two World Cup qualifiers.

The Three Lions travel to Malta for the first of two Group F clashes on Friday, September 1 before entertaining Slovakia at Wembley the following Monday.

England are two points clear at the top of the group having won four and lost two of their previous matches as they look to reach Russia 2018.

The full England squad can be seen below.