Ben Brereton feels he has found his feet at Rovers in his third season – and hopes his international involvement can help him kick on at Ewood Park.

The attacker has received a call-up to the Chile national team ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia next month, and is expected to retain his place for the month-long Copa America which begins on June 11.

That will mean the 21-year-old will be late returning to close season training with Rovers, but after becoming a regular in the side in 2020/21, chipping in with seven goals and three assists, Brereton believes his experience with Chile will only be a benefit.

A prospective meeting with Lionel Messi lies in wait on June 4 when he will hope to make his debut after pledging his international allegiance to the south American country where his mother was born.

He has been on the radar of coach Martin Lasarte since the end of 2020, but after the March qualifiers were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, this offered La Roja a first chance to call-up Brereton.

“I’ve known for quite a while that they were looking at me, but I just kept my head down and wanted to do well for Blackburn Rovers,” Brereton said.

“Then just recently they’ve been in touch with me and my family, to let us know, and we’ve made the decision that we want to do it and give it my best shot. It’s a real honour, Chile are a great team to be a part of and my mum and my granddad, and all the family, are very proud.

“It’s really special for them. They were all in tears when they found out. It’s really exciting and they’re really proud of me and I can’t wait to play.

“It’s great and it’s a real privilege, particularly for my mum’s side of the family.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to play internationally, so it will be a great honour and I’m looking forward to it.”

A prospective meeting with Lionel Messi is on the horizon for Brereton, as is a blossoming partnership with Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez, as well as Chilean stars Claudio Bravo and Arturo Vidal, are set to be rested for the Copa America which increases Brereton’s chances of featuring in the competition.

And after a season of regular football at club level, he’s looking to continue that form on the international stage.

“The prospect of playing against some of the players that I’ll be playing against is really exciting and hopefully I get some good game time over there and hopefully we can get some good results,” Brereton explained.

“I’ve really enjoyed this season. I’ve played a lot of games, thanks to the gaffer, and I feel like I’ve found my feet now at Blackburn Rovers. I’ve got these internationals to look forward to first and then when I get back I’ll be ready to get cracking for next season.”

Brereton represented the England age groups up to Under-20s level, but will now get to test himself as a full international.

After the World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia they face the same two countries, as well as Uruguay and Paraguay as part of a five-team group at the Copa America, with the top four sides qualifying for the quarter finals.

Brereton became something of a social media sensation in Chile, winners of the Copa America in 2015 and 2016, after news of his eligibility became clear and he is looking forward to representing them in the future.

He has visited the country just once, aged one, and is excited by the experiences that lay in wait.

“I played for England when I was younger and it was a great honour as well, but for me this was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down and it’s a massive honour to play for the other side of my family,” he added in an interview with the club website.

“I’ve been really grateful for all the messages of support I’ve had from the Chilean fans so far. I know that they love their football and I can’t wait to get over there and experience it first hand and hopefully I can do the country proud.

“It will be a great experience for me, a different culture, a different style, a different way of playing, playing against different teams and against better players, but I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully I can bring that experience into next season with Rovers.”