Ollie Watkins was lost for words after receiving his maiden England call-up on Thursday.
The striker has enjoyed a rapid rise from League Two to the Premier League and now to the Three Lions squad for their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
And Watkins admitted his international ambitions have been realised sooner than he had imagined.
He said: “I’m over the moon. I was a little bit shocked really when I got the call, but I’m delighted. I’m absolutely buzzing.
“I heard the news, but the squad wasn’t announced to the public until 2 o’clock, so I had to keep it quiet and not really tell anyone.
“When it came out, my phone just started pinging - cousins, PE teachers ringing me. It was a nice feeling and it still hasn’t sunk in yet.”
He added: “At the start of the season I aimed to be part of the international set-up, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon.”
On Sunday evening, before he heads off to meet up with England, Watkins and Villa come up against the country’s current captain and talisman Harry Kane.
His Tottenham side have endured a tough week after defeat against Arsenal and a shock Europa League exit, and Watkins feels Villa have a point to prove by putting in a big display at Villa Park.
He said: “They haven’t had a great result in midweek, so hopefully we can put pressure on them, get stuck into them early doors and get a result at Villa Park.
“I feel like we’ve been off it in recent weeks – I’m not sure why. All the lads have said that we’re not sure why it’s happened, but we’ve not been playing as well of late.
“We need a big reaction to get us firing again.”