Ezri Konsa was driving on the M1 with rain pelting off the windshield while thinking of Dubai and sunshine when the phone rang.
The Aston Villa defender was heading home after his side’s win over Fulham on Sunday and plotting a holiday with his partner, Ronni, as the wipers whizzed.
But then he answered the call and it was FA Team Ops assistant Ruth Corry with big news of his first international call-up. Konsa, 26, said: “I was literally driving home after my game on Sunday. It was raining and we were talking about going on holiday somewhere.
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“Two minutes later, Ruth called me and she said I hope you have got no holidays booked and I said, ‘no’ – but I did – and she told me I was in the squad. I know Ruth really well – I worked with her at Charlton so she was really excited for me as well.
“Then I got a call from the gaffer. He was just congratulating me, telling me that I should come and enjoy myself, get to know the lads and go from there.”
The holiday plans were put off and the sunshine was replaced with the grey weather at St George’s in Staffordshire as England prepare to finish off the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign against Malta and North Macedonia.
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“The missus was crying a bit, she was more excited than me,” said Konsa. “I’d rather be here anyway (than on holiday), so it’s fine.”
Konsa is the latest in this England squad who has come through from so-called lesser clubs to reach the top in the Premier League. He was at Charlton before Brentford and then Villa. But it was at the famous Senrab FC – a club where so many big England players have started out at – that he got his nickname from coach Tony Carroll.
That was “Little Rio” and now he hopes to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Rio Ferdinand and pull on the England shirt. “John Terry, Rio Ferdinand [were my heroes],” he said. “I had a few, but they were the main two. I've always wanted to be a defender.
"You know, growing up watching the Premier League at home with my dad and brother, they were the main two centre-backs that I wanted to become. They were leaders, they also played for their country. It was always something that I wanted to do myself and they were the two players that I always looked up to.”
He worked with former Chelsea defender Terry at Villa for two years when the ex-England star was coaching at the Midlands club. “He really helped my game,” said Konsa.
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“I used to ask him a lot of questions on how he was able to maintain playing at such a high level and he gave me a lot of advice. I took that on and it has definitely helped me get to where I am today. He was in touch and he sent me a nice message.”
His manager influences include former Villa boss Dean Smith but it is the current one in Unai Emery who is helping turn the club into one ready to push the big six in the Premier League. That will only help his England ambitions and hopes of playing in next summer’s Euros.
It would be quite the journey for the player who grew up in Newham.
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