JAMES Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond “deserve the opportunity” to prove themselves with the England senior team after their surprise call-ups, according to manager Gareth Southgate.

The Three Lions boss knows the Saints pair very well, having managed them during his spell as England Under-21s boss.

Already well aware of their abilities, Southgate was also persuaded to pick the St Mary's duo because of their recent form at club level.

“They are players we’ve worked with before and they are players who are in excellent form with their club,” Southgate explained.

“Both performed very well in a pressured environment of a cup final with Southampton.

“We are aiming for those guys to go to the Under-21 Euros this summer, but we didn’t want to hold them back.

“They deserve the opportunity. They’ve been performing well in our junior age groups for a long time and they are two that we wanted to introduce to a senior environment and see how they get on.”

Redmond and Ward-Prowse, who will both hope to make their debuts in the coming internationals, join St Mary’s team-mates and regular England representatives Ryan Bertrand and Fraser Forster in the 26-man squad.

Southgate’s side play Germany in Dortmund next Wednesday in a friendly before facing Lithuania at Wembley on Sunday 26 March in a World Cup qualifier.

Ward-Prowse and Redmond were not the only Saints men celebrating call-ups.

Academy graduate Sam McQueen was named in the under-21s side for the first time.

The Southampton-born full-back joins team-mate Jack Stephens in manager Aidy Boothroyd’s squad for games against Germany and Denmark.

McQueen and Huddersfield’s Chelsea loanee Izzy Brown have been handed maiden under-21s call-ups, while Joe Gomez, Solly March and Cauley Woodrow all return to the fold.

Boothroyd said: “Izzy did well on loan in Holland, he came back and now he’s thriving in the Championship.

“Him and Sam deserve their chance, just like Tammy Abraham deserved his chance when I picked him last year.

“As for Joe, Solly and Cauley, they are three players that have been in the squad before so it will be nice to welcome them back. They all deserve to be here.”

McQueen Tweeted: “An amazing feeling to get my first international call up. thank you to everyone for the messages and support!”

The Young Lions face back-to-back away internationals against Germany (on Friday 24 March) and Denmark (Monday 27 March) as preparations continue for this summer’s European Championship finals.

After an astonishing day of England selections, the Daily Echo has charted those Saints stars heading for potential national team debuts.

JAMES WARD-PROWSE

As a fresh-faced 13-year-old, having already been at Saints six years, Ward-Prowse was recorded for a club video.

Within the grainy footage, along with revealing his favourite subject at school was geography, he stated that his long-term target was to reach the England squad.

Now, nearly ten years on,Ward-Prowse has achieved his dreams by getting into the Three Lions team.

For those who have followed the midfielder closely it will come as little surprise.

Not only is the 22-year-old the longest-serving Saints player in the current squad, but he has also been England Under-21s captain for nearly a year.

Despite being still so young, Ward-Prowse has already played 160 times for Saints, having made his debut as a 16-year-old in October 2011.

He has played through England age group levels for the under 17s, 19s and 20s, but made his biggest impact under Southgate in the under-21s.

Southgate named Ward-Prowse in his first-ever England Under-21s team in August 2013, making his debut against Moldova.

Then, last year, the now England boss handed him the captaincy of the Young Lions side and further recognition came when former Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson labelled the Saints man a “big prospect”.

Alongside Saints team-mates Jack Stephens and Nathan Redmond, Ward-Prowse helped the under-21s to Toulon Tournament glory last summer, which was the first time England had won the competition since 1994.

Despite all the successes, Ward-Prowse had still yet to fully forge himself a permanent starting role at Saints - a real run in the team had never been forthcoming.

However, he has started the last three games for Saints and is showing excellent form under Claude Puel.

Those recent displays and Southgate’s already close relationship with the player has clearly persuaded the England boss to give him the nod.

NATHAN REDMOND

The 23-year-old has had an up and down start to life at Saints, but is really hitting his stride now.

Since the Thierry Henry comparisons have died off and Redmond has started to play in a more familiar wide attacking area in the 4-2-3-1 formation, he’s started to really impress.

The Birmingham City man, who Saints bought from Norwich for £10m last summer, netted a brace in the 4-3 win at Watford last time out in the Premier League.

His movement and ball-carrying abilities are a real weapon for Saints and that is clearly something Southgate wants in his England team.

Redmond has played for England through age group levels, collecting 72 caps with the under 16s, 17s, 18s, 19s, 20s and 21s, and, like Ward-Prowse, is another of Southgate’s disciples from the under-21s.

He was part of the successful Toulon Tournament side of last summer and was voted England Under-21 player of the year for 2016, narrowly beating Saints team-mate Ward-Prowse to the crown.

SAM MCQUEEN

McQueen started this season pondering whether or not to make another loan move to Southend United.

But that never transpired and boy how things have changed since.

Claude Puel gave him a go at left-back during a training match in pre-season and spotted something special in the academy graduate.

The Southampton-born 22-year-old then played pre-season games at left-back and was given more opportunities to hone his skills there in the under-23s.

When Ryan Bertrand and then second-choice left-back Matt Targett were sidelined through injury in October, McQueen stepped up.

He made his full Saints debut in the San Siro of all places as Puel’s side took on Inter Milan in their showpiece Europa League group stage game.

The midfield-cum-defender didn’t look out of his depth at all and continued to blossom from there.

His first Premier League start then came at Manchester City, where again he took his baptism of fire in his stride.

McQueen, who went to Mountbatten School in Romsey, has not looked back since and is a bona fide senior option at left-back.

England Under-21s boss Aidy Boothroyd has stated that he “deserves” his chance.