Shropshire’s Joe Hart is refusing to take his World Cup place for granted – despite having one foot on the plane for South Africa.

The former Shrewsbury Town goalkeeper was yesterday named in Fabio Capello’s 30-man provisional England squad for this summer.

The squad will be trimmed to 23 at the start of June but it appears the goalkeeping selection is clear cut after Hart was named alongside Robert Green and David James.

But the 23-year-old insists there is plenty of work to do before he can be sure to fulfil his World Cup dream.

“It’s great news to be in the provisional squad and there are exciting times ahead but I won’t get carried away,” said the former Meole Brace pupil.

“It’s not definite that anyone is in the squad so I will have to work really hard over the next three weeks and see what happens.

“All my family were really pleased yesterday and I had some phone calls from some of my old-team-mates from Shrewsbury like Jamie Tolley, Gavin Cowan and Gavin Cadwallader.

“But they all know there is still a lot of work ahead.”

Hart will now join his 29 other colleagues for a training camp in Austria next week, while friendlies against Mexico and Japan are on the horizon before the final squad is officially announced on June 1.

Should he be selected, he would be the first Shropshire-born player to be selected for a World Cup since Bernard McNally was picked by Northern Ireland in 1986.

Hart, meanwhile, refused to be drawn on his uncertain club future.

The 23-year-old expects to return to parent club Manchester City after a successful season on loan at Birmingham.

But there are also reports of a potential bid from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

By JAMES GARRISON