After the call he had been hoping for finally arrived, Nathaniel Clyne got to make a long-awaited one of his own.

The Saints defender had just been informed of his first ever selection to the senior England team when he picked up the phone and rang his mum.

Whenever the right-back discusses the influences on his career, it is always – without fail – Ann Clyne who gets the first mention.

From ferrying him continually around in his youth days with Tottenham and Crystal Palace, to keeping him on the right track as a kid and travelling to support him in all of his professional games, the 23-year-old has never understated the role his mum played in helping him reach this point.

Breaking the news of an England call to her was something Clyne had wanted to do for some time, and it was always going to be an emotional moment.

“I was just waiting really and, obviously, the news just came through,” said Clyne. “I was just delighted and I decided to phone up everyone I knew.

“I called my mum first, as she has been a big part of my career so far. She was crying on the phone.

“I am happy and I am proud and will go with England and show well that I am capable of wearing the jersey.”

Clyne is clearly driven to succeed and is insistent that he has no intention of just making up the numbers ahead of the Euro 2016 qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia.

“The aim is to take it step-by-step, but I am not here for fun and games,” he said. “I am here to nail my place down and hopefully I will take that right-back position and make it my own.”

He might well get the chance too.

England manager Roy Hodgson is facing something of an injury crisis at right-back, with Glen Johnson and Kyle Walker both absent from the current squad.

Everton’s John Stones had played in that position for the opening Euro 2016 qualifier – a 2-0 win in Switzerland – but he suffered ankle ligament damage at the weekend and is out.

With Jon Flanagan, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling also unavailable, it is likely to be either Clyne or his former Saints teammate Calum Chambers, who has been drafted into the squad at late notice, who will start against San Marino, at Wembley, this Thursday.

Clyne knows that a first cap is a distinct possibility, either in that match or in Sunday’s trip to Estonia.

“I need to go there and in the training sessions show what I am about and hopefully I will get my chance and start for England,” he said.

Clyne added: “I am not really focused on who is in or who is out, who is injured or not.

“I am just focusing on myself and if I am doing well then hopefully I will get a chance, like I have done, and play well when I get an opportunity.”

Hodgson had considered selecting the Saints player since before the World Cup, but it has been in the last few weeks, following a superb start to the season for his club, that significant momentum had gathered behind the ‘Clyne for England’ campaign.

The defender admitted his call-up had still come as something of a shock, though.

“I found out a couple of hours before the team was named,” he said. “The FA called me up and said that I would be joining the England team.

“It was a surprise to me, but I feel that I am good enough to be part of the team and now I have to show that.”

Clyne added: “I am still up-and-coming in the game and I still need to improve on my game. Hopefully this will be another step for me, to play for England, and hopefully I will improve. I am buzzing, and I can’t wait to get started and join in with the lads.

“They are world class players, and (I can’t wait) to see what they are like in training and, hopefully, I can match up to that.

“I know a lot of the players there – (Jordan) Henderson, (Raheem) Sterling and Ox [Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain] played with me at under-21s.

“Also, I know (Rickie) Lambert and Adam Lallana from Southampton, so hopefully I can learn from them.”

Clyne has certainly come a long way since his days in the Crystal Palace academy, when he doubted he would ever make the first-team.

“I wasn’t really the one spoken about coming through the youth team,” he said previously.

“I was more like the silent person coming through and I had to work really hard to get myself into the reserve team and break through from there.”

Now, though, he is flourishing.

“I have been on a long journey and making it through the Crystal Palace ranks and I was not selected that much for the team,” he said.

“I was fortunate to get into the team and, when I did, I made my mark and got through, and now I am playing for Southampton and doing really well.”

That view is backed up by his club manager, Ronald Koeman, who has described him as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League.

“He has given me confidence,” said Clyne.

“He said that I can be one of the best right-backs in the Premier League. I have grown up and hopefully that will continue.”