Chelsea’s Ola Aina has backed Nathaniel Chalobah to make a lasting impression at the top of the game after the Watford midfielder earned his first England cap.

Chalobah was team-mates with Aina, who is currently on loan with Torino, while at Chelsea, making the 22-year-old Nigeria international better placed than most to pass judgement on his talents.

Aina believes Chalobah has what it takes to kick on after his late substitute outing in Monday’s 3-2 win over Spain and says having him in the senior fold is good news for England.

“Let’s hope he can progress and become the player that always gets picked for England, he has good qualities and he can go all the way,” Aina told reporters while on international duty.

“He is so level headed. His temperament is good. He is very strong and physical and he is not slow. He has got everything you need in a midfielder. That’s why I think he can probably go all the way. He just needs more game time at Watford and fewer injuries.

“It is really good that he is back in the fold and in the eyes of the England set up.”

While Chelsea’s use of the loan system sees their young players shipped off far and wide and often struggle to break through at Stamford Bridge, Aina says the Blues’ youth players are a tight knit group.

He said: “I am close to everyone who has been through Chelsea. Tammy [Abraham], Fikayo [Tomori], Kasey [Palmer], [Charlie] Colkett, Dominic Solanke and Michael Hector.

“That group that have come from Chelsea are like a family. We all communicate and we all get along.”