Woodstock Harrier Steve Naylor was handed an early birthday present after being called up to represent England for the first time.

Naylor has been selected to take part in this Saturday’s Home Countries International meeting in Northern Ireland in what will be his biggest challenge so far in his fledging career.

The race, over 10.8km, will be held in Antrim, with the senior men’s event taking place at 3.45pm.

Naylor, who took up competitive running at the Maylarch Eynsham 10K in November 2009, turns 32 next week, and said he was stunned to receive the call on Monday afternoon.

He said: “I’ve not even had a trial for this sort of thing.

“I had always assumed that you get invited for trials before getting selected for something like this.

“But the phone call came completely out of the blue when I was at work.

“I was buzzing. I had to take an early lunch break bec-ause I couldn’t believe it.”

Naylor has had a breakthrough year, winning the Oxford Mail Cross Country League at a canter and getting his first call-up for Oxfordshire at the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships.

But he said that being selected for England was a feeling that could not be bettered.

“When I was selected to run for the county, I was so pleased.

“But to get a call-up for England is just incredible “This could be a once in a lifetime experience.

“I’m not nervous, but I am very excited.”

Naylor will be flying out, all-expenses paid to Northern Ireland tomorrow.

He added: “It will be an elite competition. It’s teams of four with three to count towards the score, so hopefully I’ll do well.

“If I can be one of the points-scorers, that would be briliant.

“Who would have thought 16 months ago that I would be running in an England vest so soon.

“I know I wasn’t first choice, but I think due to injuries and other races, England were short and they came upon my name after looking at recent results.

“I don’t care if it never happens again, I’ll just enjoy every minute.

“You always dream that something like this could happen, but I would never have expected to get this after only 16 months of running.

“This year’s target was to earn my place running for Oxfordshire, and I was over the moon when I got to do that at the Inter-Counties.

“So people can forgive me that I’ve not stopped smiling since I heard the news.”