Arsenal goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook was thrilled to taste senior action in preseason.

Charles-Cook has certainly reaped the benefits of such fortune, to give him the ideal start to the season. The young stopper found himself getting a surprise call up into the Arsenal XI side for their pre-season friendlies.

"Vito Mannone and Damian Martinez were away, James Shea had gone on loan and Sean McDermott was with Ireland. We had just returned for pre-season training and I was asked to join the Reserves to play in three friendlies. It was something I did not expect, but was very excited about," he told arsenal.com.

"The first was against Hastings. I was on the coach with players that I had only been on the pitch with in training. Kyle Bartley had come back from Scotland having helped Rangers win the SPL. Henri Lansbury had been part of the promoted Norwich City team and Sanchez Watt had been with Leeds. Top players all around me."