Adam Johnson has not abandoned hope of taking David Beckham's place on England's World Cup flight to South Africa this summer.
The 22-year-old Manchester City winger, who arrrived for £7m from Middlesbrough in January, has shone for the England Under-21s and stepped off the bench to score City's stoppage-time equaliser in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland.
"I'd love to think I've got an outside chance of making the England squad this summer," said the predominantly left-footed Johnson, who can operate on either flank: "But all I can do is keep performing for City. Hopefully I'll get the call, stranger things have happened. I was in the provisional 30‑man squad for Egypt. If someone had said to me in December I'd be even in a provisional England squad. I wouldn't have believed them.
"But I've come quite a long way in a short space of time and I was obviously disappointed to not make that squad. I've just got to keep going and keep working hard. And hopefully score a few more goals like the one against Sunderland.
"I don't know if the World Cup finals is in my sights. I would like to hope so but it is going to be a big ask for me. If I can keep playing and score a few more goals then you get talked about a bit more and you never know, but I have just got to concentrate on working hard with City and see what happens."
Johnson believes he is benefiting from leaving Middlesbrough, who are 10th in the Championship, for a team endeavouring to win a place in next season's Champions League.
"I think the profile is bigger at City," he said. "You are on Sky television every week and you get talked about all the time. Everyone wants to watch us, with all the big players we have and all the money that has been spent. This is the best place for me to get seen and to progress my career.
"We have so many world-class players at City. I was on the bench with Patrick Vieira and that is very different to what I am used to. I think when you play with world-class players that just brings you on, even in training. Every day you are getting better and that is all I want to do. I want to try and better myself and prove to everyone that I am worth playing at a big club."
