Bristol Rovers defender Joe Jacobson will fulfil a childhood dream if he gets to play for Wales  in friendly matches against Iceland and Holland next week.

The 21-year-old left-back received a letter from the Welsh FA confirming his first senior call-up for the national team, having made 13 appearances for the Under 21 side.

“It’s a brilliant moment for me,” said Jacobson. “Obviously, I have got into the team on merit for the season I’ve had with Rovers. It is a big chance for me to impress manager John Toshack.

Joe Jacobson (left) tries to keep up with England Under 21 star Theo Walcott in Wrexham

“Any young player will tell you their dream is to put on the shirt, play for their country and win your first cap for the senior squad. Hopefully, I will get that chance.”

The Cardiff-born footballer, who was at Wembley for last weekend’s FA Cup final, has had a season to remember. He helped Rovers reach the quarter-finals of the cup and won the Maccabi GB sports personality award.

Jacobson topped off his campaign by captaining the Wales Under 21 side in their 2-0 friendly defeat against England at the Racecourse Ground last week. He was given one of the toughest assignments, marking Arsenal speedster Theo Walcott.

“I had goosebumps when I lined up to play England,” he said. “It was an unbelievable experience and was also my first time playing against Premier League players on that scale, which of course is something I’ve always wanted to do.

“Having to mark Theo was not an easy job. He has outstanding pace and if he gets past you then any player in the world is going to have a hard time catching up with him. Overall, I thought we played really well, and were very unlucky to lose.” Looking ahead to next week’s friendlies, Toshack has told Jacobson to keep fit and continue doing some personal training before the team meets on Monday.