JUST five years ago Ben Morgan was battling it out in Gloucester Two for childhood club Dursley.

Fast forward to Stuart Lancaster's England revolution and the big ball-carrying back-rower is on the cusp of making his international debut during this year's 2012 Six Nations tournament.

The Llanelli Scarlets number eight admits it has been a dream come true to be involved after being selected in interim coach Lancaster's Elite Player Squad.

But the 22-year-old says he owes a lot of his rapid rise to the rugby education he received here in Gloucestershire.

"I have played all my junior rugby in Gloucestershire, particularly Dursley, that was my only junior club," he said.

"They were absolutely brilliant and I owe them a lot and I am really grateful to the coaches for giving up their time to coach me.

"If you had told me that I would be in the England squad three years ago then I would have just laughed at you because things did not look like they were going to happen.

"I am just really grateful at the opportunities I have been given and am keen to make the most of them.

"Five years ago I was still at Dursley, playing in Gloucester Two so it has been a shock really. But I am just really excited to be a part of this group of players."

Morgan was born in Bristol and schooled at Kingswood Primary before attending Katharine Lady Berkeley School in Wotton-under-Edge.

He played for Dursley from the age of five before joining Cinderford for a season 12 years later and helped Gloucestershire Under-20s win the County Championship in 2008 and 2009.

But it was across the Welsh border where his career really took off after moves to Merthyr and then Cardiff Blues preceded a two-year development contract with the Scarlets.

There he was named the Scarlets Young Player of the Year and also won the supporters' vote for a similar award.

But the 6ft 3ins, 18st gain-line breaker has not forgotten where he was brought up and has not ruled out the possibility of a return back to his homeland one day in the future.

"It is definitely a possibility, I think at the time being my focus is nowhere near that, it is solely on this and this team," he said.

"But I don't know what is going to happen, I don't have a crystal ball, I think it is a possibility so I will just have to see how things are.

"I have got another year left at the Scarlets so it is not current at the moment.

"So it is going to be if any talks come around it is going to be in another year's time.

"Obviously I am flattered with anything anyone has said but am down at the Scarlets for the time being.

"All my family are around Gloucester and I come back and visit when I can.

"Friends are around Gloucestershire as well so I do come back and try and catch up with them as much as I can.

"But it is quite demanding with training and stuff so it is limited but I do like to come back.

"I have always kept an eye on what England are doing because I am English and I have grown up supporting England.

"Just because I am living in a different place does not mean suddenly I switch off, not at all.

"I am only an hour and a half from being back in Gloucester anyway so it is not as if I am on the other side of the world so I always like to keep an interest and even more so now."