To be honest, I was a little bit nervous when I first arrived in the squad last month.
I thought to myself: 'It’s just another changing room to come into.'
But then I’ve only ever been in one changing room in my career so far…so there was a lot of new faces but the boys have been really easy to get along with and I’ve settled in quickly.
It’s been a very good experience, in everything that we’ve been doing like the training and the atmosphere around the camp, it’s all been very enjoyable.
I’d only previously been involved with England with the U21s for two games a few years ago under Stuart Pearce, and that does feel like a long time ago now and this feels completely different.
I remember we played a game at Colchester and then away against Belgium, and Hendo was the only player in that squad who is here now as well as Jason Steele who is now with me at Brighton.
I was 18 at the time so to be in the U21s then was massive for me, but this is something I’ve always dreamed of, to be in the senior team and I’ve just got to get that one step further and hopefully get a first cap.
It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind, but an enjoyable whirlwind, which has brought me to this stage.
I was born in Brighton and grew up on the outskirts of the city, so to have spent my whole career with my hometown club is something I’m proud of.
When I first joined the club at the age of ten, we were in League One and it was a stage when there were a few players from the academy coming through.
But there are not many players who have been through the whole thing like I have and to have played for my hometown club over the last few years has been great.
I’ve grown with the club and it feels like we’ve grown together really, because we’ve been through the bad times and now the good, so I’m proud to be representing the club and the city at this level.
Hopefully, it will carry on, but you never know in football. I just need to keep doing what I’ve done so far and working hard and hopefully the rest can follow.
Tickets for Thursday’s game with USA are still on sale, but Sunday's match with Croatia is now sold out.
GET USA TICKETS
