Lowestoft's Callum Walchester will be officiating in Leagues One and Two next season after being promoted to the National List of Assistant Referees.

The 24-year-old, who was an assistant referee at the National League play-off final at Wembley last month, has been selected to make the step up to the Football League.

Walchester will begin his preparation for next season with a fitness test next week before the pre-season games begin.

'The overriding feeling is one of pride really,' said Walchester, who is a graduate of the Suffolk FA Youth Referee Academy.

'I've been on the brink of the professional game and it's great to have got that breakthrough - that's obviously what I've been working towards.

'You get watched every game you're at over the course of the season and it's done on a merit table with all the other officials involved.

'I'm really pleased to have been selected and I suppose it's just reward for the hard work I've put in.'

Walchester, who started officiating when he was 16, is confident he can make the step up.

'The laws are the same whether the game is at Wembley or the local park,' he added.

'It doesn't matter who is playing.

'The game might be a bit faster but it's up to the officials to keep up with that.

'It's something that I'm really looking forward to.'

Walchester would love to follow in the footsteps of fellow assistant referee Darren Cann, who officiated in 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.

However, Walchester, who is a police officer, is solely focused on the next 12 months as he makes the jump up to the Football League.

'Darren is at the top of the field and these are the type of people that you look up to,' added Walchester.

'I was fortunate to go to a few seminars where he has been giving a presentation - you look at what he has achieved and it spurs you on.

'It certainly helps when you have got people that you can relate to. But I'm not looking too much into the future.

'I will just look to complete the following season and go from there.'