When Emi Buendia saw one of his childhood idols in Pablo Aimar calling him, he didn't expect the former Valencia and Benfica man to reveal he was being selected for his country.
The 24-year-old was named alongside Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria in the latest Argentina squad ahead of their World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia next month.
Buendia has shined for Norwich City this season, sweeping up numerous accolades and earning rave reviews for his performances that helped the Canaries claim the Championship title.
A call-up to play for his country for the first time caps off a headline-grabbing season for Buendia, who scored 15 goals and registered 17 assists this season. Reflecting on his inclusion in the squad, Buendia admitted he was still on cloud nine.
"I'm living the dream. I got the call from Pablo Aimar (U17 coach) to tell me that I was going to be in the Argentina National Team.
"I'm very anxious but I will do my best to meet the standards of the Argentina National Team. Putting on the Argentina kit is something great. I have always imagined what it would be like and dreamt about it.
"Now I have an opportunity to make it a reality," City's creator in chief told ¿Cómo te va?.
Buendia will be the subject of plenty of speculation again this summer and there are fears an Argentina call-up could tempt a potential suitor into launching a bid to acquire his services.
It was a season of vast improvement for Buendia, who has added goals and worked on his temperament to be regarded as the best player in the Championship.
The attacking midfielder is a boyhood supporter of Argentinean giants River Plate, but admits his idol is Juan Roman Riquelme, who played for rivals Boca Juniors.
Now his inspirations come from the Premier League but Buendia also enjoys watching clips of Diego Maradona - someone he describes as a 'beautiful' player.
“I always admired and watched a lot how Riquelme played. He was an incredible number 10. As a River fan I looked at Aimar, D'Alessandro, Saviola, I looked at a bit of everything.
“A player that I like a lot and I am moved by how he plays is Kevin De Bruyne, he is incredible. I also look at Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United a lot.
“You always listen to parents or relatives who have seen Maradona. I think everyone knows what he transmitted on the pitch and outside and how special he was for our football. It's beautiful to see him play on video, I can't imagine what it was like on the pitch."
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