WHILE many can reflect on a league and cup double during their youth football days few can share the experience of playing for their country.

Jack Simpson can probably remember when he led Weymouth under-11s to the former a decade ago.

And the 21-year-old will not need to be reminded of when he stepped out in a Three Lions shirt for the first time against Denmark on Tuesday.

For Cherries, the Simpson success story provides a moment worth bookmarking as the club continues on its upward trajectory.

Lewis Cook's Three Lions debut in March set the ball rolling for a succession of historic moments.

The first serving Cherries player to feature for England’s senior set-up was last week followed by Callum Wilson's momentous night at Wembley.

A start and a goal for the striker delivered more firsts for the Dorset club.

Wilson's journey of overcoming setbacks rightly touched the hearts and minds of Cherries faithful.

The achievements of the former Coventry and Leeds stars must never go undersold but the rise of a player crafted on the fields of Chapel Gate and Canford Magna could mean more to the future of football in Dorset.

All clubs long for a homegrown talent. The poetic story of a local lad to first-team regular rarely materialise, especially at the highest level.

Reaping the rewards of years of nurturing and support without the one-off multi-million pound sum to acquire a ready-made star resonates at the boardroom and in the stands.

Yet the route is realised in a small number of cases. Simpson will admit he still has some way to go.

Often the margins are deemed too thin for managers to hand opportunities to the blossoming talents already on their doorstep.

Further afield, even the country's leading academies have struggled to deliver players who bridge the void to Premier League mainstays.

The frequency with which Arsenal and Southampton talents cascade into the starting XI has showed signs of relenting.

Simpson's breakthrough had by no means drawn a laser path from academy to first-team but it handed belief to those players waiting in the wings.

Since his debut against Middlesbrough the centre-back has featured in a handful of cup games and a single Premier League outing against Manchester City.

There is no easy route into a winning top-flight side.

However, Simpson's path so far can provide confidence for those to come in future years, if not sooner.

Sam Surridge impressed in the opening months of the season out on loan at Oldham to follow up 53 appearances for Yeovil last term.

Talented midfielder Kyle Taylor faced injury setbacks in pre-season but is very much part of Eddie Howe's first-team squad.

In February the boss said Taylor had been "definitely one to watch" for fans.

High praise for the 19-year-old, who has come quite some way from the boy that signed a six-year youth contract before Cherries home defeat to Walsall in 2011.

Taylor's own journey embodies a traditional pathway that must not dwindle out. Scouted after impressing for Poole-based side Lytchett Red Triangle, he spent two years with the academy before committing his teenage years to the club.

After blossoming through the youth set-up, Taylor and co know their toughest tests are still in front of them but they can be driven to forge their own historic chapters.