Young Dover Athletic defender Sean Raggett thought it was one of his team-mates having a laugh when he got a text saying he’d been named in an England C squad.

Raggett said: “The first person that came into my head was Tom Wynter – he’s a serial pest and that’s the sort of thing he would do, so you have to be careful.”

But Wynter was innocent for once. Raggett really had been named in manager Paul Fairclough’s 16-man squad for the friendly against the Republic of Ireland under-21s in Galway on June 1.

And when Raggett, 21, realised it wasn’t a prank, he admits he still couldn’t believe it until he got an official email.

He said: “It came right out of the blue. I have never played for England at any level, so to get an opportunity like this is just fantastic.”

But the trip comes at a cost for the former Gillingham schoolboy.

Raggett, who played 33 Vanarama Conference and FA Cup games for Dover this season, scoring four goals, had to put his close season holiday on hold.

He said: “I was supposed to be in Tenerife when the camp and the game is on but the holiday can wait.

“It’s a massive honour to get in this squad and you just don’t know when you will get another chance at this level.

"Now I’ve got to ensure I keep working hard until I go into camp and make the most of any game time that comes my way.”