Darren Cann, from Poringland, will be part of a trio of officials which includes referee Howard Webb and assistant Mike Mullarkey for the tournament in Brazil this summer.

Mr Cann said it was a 'thrill' to be going to Brazil upon his selection earlier this year.

'It is an honour to represent Norfolk, and indeed England, at any tournament. The fact that this one is being held in Brazil, who are hosting their first World Cup since 1950, is extra special.

'I am very grateful to my family and friends for all their support over the years in helping me realise this dream, my selection wouldn't have been possible without them,' he said.

The refereeing team have already been involved in a number of high-profile games, including the 2010 World Cup final.

Mr Cann, 44, was originally a promising player in the Norwich City youth team and later joined Crystal Palace's youth set-up.

Once he was released, he went on a refereeing course, and became a referee in 1991.

The father-of-two also formerly worked at the Lloyds TSB branch in the Heartsease area of Norwich but gave the job up to concentrate on refereeing.