JAMES Tarkowski’s long-awaited call-up to the England squad will come as no surprise to Latics fans who have fond memories of the New Moston Beckenbauer’s Bobby Moore-like ability to glide out of defence with the kind of swagger belying his embryonic status as a young up and coming centre back.

Tarky – now kingpin of a Burnley backline punching above their weight in the upper echelons of the Premier League – always had it in him.

There were times in the now 25-year-old’s Boundary Park days when he was simply on another level. There were also times when you wanted to strangle him.

The former Failsworth High School student oozed pure class throughout the majority of his 89 appearances for Athletic between 2011-14.

He was raw though. Never one to go hiding when things didn’t go his way, he rose above it. Dug in.

I always thought he would make a great midfielder, but his physique screamed centre-half . . . with ‘unbelievable tekkers’.

Championship-bound Brentford, among a host of suitors, prized Tarky away from God’s own country to Griffin Park where he soon won promotion as the eye-catching displays continued. Then, like bees round a honey pot, scouts from the top table converged.

Not dissimilar to a modern-day Cinderella – the downtrodden traits of a career spent playing in front of makeshift stands occupied by loyal and dedicated-but-paltry crowds – the Clarets came calling and Tarkowski was handed the glass slipper of a chance to win promotion to the Premier League.

He always went for the ball.

First-team opportunities were limited at Turf Moor in the beginning it has to be said. That would soon change.

Scrolling through the Sunday papers to see if Tarky had made an appearance was commonplace in plenty of Oldham households, such was, and still is, the love for such a silky smooth performer.

When England take on Holland and Italy in their forthcoming friendlies, there will be plenty of admirers from our part of the world should the former rookie (with a gob) take to the field – he would regularly berate senior figures for not doing their job . . . brave man.

All of whom will no doubt glow with pride at one of our own having the three lions on his shirt. I know I will.

He could well make the plane to Moscow.