FORMER Bournemouth director of rugby David Dunn believes local boy Charlie Ewels had always been “destined to make it at the top level”.

Ewels was yesterday called up by England for the forthcoming series of internationals against South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia.

The 21-year-old second-rower progressed through the junior ranks at Bournemouth before being snapped up by Bath Rugby as a 16-year-old.

One of six uncapped players included in Eddie Jones’s 33-man squad, Ewels attended Moordown St Johns School and Bournemouth School before being offered a scholarship at Bryanston.

Dunn, who spent five years coaching England schools, was in charge at Chapel Gate when Ewels cut his teeth in the club’s youth ranks.

Now director of rugby at New Milton, Dunn told the Daily Echo: “It is great news that he has been called into the squad.

“He was with us at Bournemouth through the age groups but soon moved on to better things. He was involved with the Bath set-up from a relatively early age.

“He is a great lad with a tremendous attitude. He was always destined to make it at the top level and this is a richly deserved call-up.

“He was an outstanding player as a junior but it was more his attitude that stuck out for me. He was a big lad for his age but there was more than that.

“Although he had all the physical attributes, sometimes that is not quite enough. His determination to be successful and his desire to make himself better were what stuck out for me.”

Ewels will link up with England on Sunday for a week-long training camp in Portugal before they open their autumn series against South Africa at Twickenham on November 12.

The lock was a key member of the England under-20 team which won the 2014 Junior World Championship in New Zealand and captained his country to runners-up spot in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship final in 2015.

Bournemouth head coach Will Croker hopes Ewels’s achievements will inspire the current crop in the club’s flourishing youth and junior ranks.

He told the Daily Echo: “Charlie was identified at a young age as being a player with enormous potential and subsequently developed through our younger age groups before moving on to Bryanston School.

“He is certainly someone everybody at the club is incredibly proud of and we are delighted to see the progress he is making.

“It goes to show all our youngsters what can be achieved. If they work hard, are committed and if they follow their dream and don't cut corners and make sure they take on board the advice they are given then they will have a chance of achieving something quite big.”

Ewels, who skippered Bournemouth School to a number of local successes, is joined among the 33 by Bath colleague Dave Attwood, who returns following injuries to second-rowers George Kruis and Maro Itoje.