England manager Thomas Tuchel named his official 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup on Friday morning.
The roster for the tournament in North America includes Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, while Brighton forward Danny Welbeck was omitted.
Watkins secured his place after a prolific scoring streak following his omission from the March international break.
He netted 10 goals in all competitions since March, including a two-goal performance in Aston Villa's 4-2 victory over Liverpool that clinched their Champions League berth.
Aston Villa captain John McGinn praised Watkins' resilience after bouncing back from his previous international exclusion.
"He was obviously disappointed in March but if it gave him a kick up the backside [then] he's certainly responded in the best way," said McGinn.
The captain noted the striker's continuous value to the club and his late surge into the World Cup roster.
"We're so fortunate to have him, what he's done for this club the past few seasons has been incredible.
I think he may have just snuck his way on to that plane," said McGinn.
Watkins explained that missing the previous international camp served as a personal turning point.
"I had a slow start to the season, picking up a few niggles on international duty and then being left out of the England squad," he said.
The forward revealed that the omission fueled his desire to silence critics and recapture top form.
"I think it gave me that fire in my belly to come back and prove to people what I can do.
A lot of people had written me off this season and I use that as motivation," he said.
Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie expressed strong support for Watkins' inclusion during a Sky Sports broadcast.
"Since being left out we've just seen a massive turning of the corner. He's been relentless in front of goal, he's shown his capabilities," said Hendrie.
Hendrie highlighted that Watkins offers tactical variation from primary striker Harry Kane.
"He's a totally different player to Harry Kane and gives them something different," said Hendrie.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expressed pride in the team's successful dual campaign in domestic and European competitions.
"To compete in both competitions and being consistent is not easy, we had a fantastic season in the Premier League.
I am so proud," said Emery.
