"SHOCKED but delighted" was how Matt Jansen described his call-up to the England squad for Wednesday's match with Paraguay.

"I'm absolutely delighted," said the 24-year-old Rovers striker. "It's what I've been working towards for a very long time."

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said: "Matt is doing very well at the moment and deserves his chance at international level.

"His form last season was good and this season he is playing better than ever."

His manager at Ewood Park is also delighted for him but Graeme Souness claimed: "We are still only scratching the surface as far as his talent is concerned.

"He's had a very good season, he's worked very, very hard but he realises he has got to keep it going.

"He's got 12 goals this season but I know he is disappointed with that tally. We think he can get more. Along with other players like David Dunn, Damien Duff and Lucas Neill he is on a great learning curve."

With just this one game to go before Eriksson announces his provisional World Cup squad, Jansen was described as a surprise inclusion, although anyone who has seen his performances for Blackburn Rovers this season will be wondering quite what took Eriksson so long.

Jansen was settling down to watch television on Saturday evening when he first saw the news.

"The phone hasn't stopped ringing and it was about half-an-hour before I got through to my parents to tell them the news - my dad's head is still in the clouds a bit, taking it all in.

"I knew that Tord Grip had been to watch me against Chelsea, but it was still a surprise. This is a dream come true for me and I'm absolutely delighted.

"It's been an ambition of mine to play for England since I was a young boy. To get a call-up in my first full season back in the Premiership is just great.

"People say I have a good chance of playing and if I do, I know it will be up to me to do myself justice and show people what I can do."

Jansen faces an operation on a hernia problem at the end of the season - one that could be extended if he travels with England to the World Cup.

But he said: "I've had it for about two or three months but there's no problem for me. England would not even consider picking me if they though there was the slightest doubt about my fitness. I've been getting an injection before games and it doesn't stop me from playing my normal game in any way at all."

However, although there was joy for Jansen, there was disappointment for his striking partner at Ewood Park, Andy Cole.

His dreams of winning a place in the squad for Japan look extremely distant now after he was overlooked for Wednesday's squad.

Another Rovers man who harboured hopes of an England call-up against Paraguay was David Dunn.

The inspirational midfielder was tipped for a place in the senior squad by club boss Graeme Souness after David Beckham suffered a broken bone in his foot last week.

But Dunn has instead been named in David Platt's 25-man Under-21 squad to face Portugal at Stoke tomorrow in a match which is a 28,000 sell-out.

There was also disappointment for Rovers striker Andy Cole who was left out of Eriksson's squad with his World Cup dream is over.

"I'm disappointed for Andy because I don't think anyone can argue that he has done everything we wanted him to do in the short time he has been here," said Souness.

But the Rovers boss faces an anxious couple of days as he hopes to see all his players away on international duty come home safe and sound.

"I will have my fingers and legs crossed," he admitted as he awaits the return of Jansen, Dunn, Brad Friedel, Tugay, Hakan Unsal and Duff.

And Souness was quick to rubbish reports of clubs chasing the Irish winger with bids of £10million at the ready.

"We are very lucky because we are not a selling club thanks to Jack," he said. "None of my players are going anywhere."