Tadworth potting prodigy Jack Smithers has become one of the youngest cuemen to win international honours, writes Mark Burnett.

At the tender age of 12, Jack, who also plays for the Surrey County Pool Association youth team, qualified for the England youth side, which features the country's leading U18s.

Jack secured his place at the trials by finishing in the top eight U18 players in the south-east of England at the end of the 2007 inter-county season.

That was in itself a huge achievement, as far as Jack was concerned, that was as far as his ambitions went.

"I wasn't massively confident about qualifying because there were lots of good players after few spaces," he said.

But the youngster confidently potted his way through the field and kept his nerve to knock in a tough black in his deciding match to claim his spot in the England set-up.

"Potting the final black to get me through was brilliant," said Jack, a student at Overton Grange School in Sutton.

"Once I had knocked it in, loads of people came over and kept shaking my hand and taking my picture.

"My mum was in tears. She said she thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest because it was beating so fast!

"My dad couldn't be there but I phoned to tell him and he was in tears, too."

Jack is one of only three players who have qualified for the England youth team at such a young age - an exclusive group including current world pool champion Gareth Potts.

What makes his efforts even more remarkable is the fact he was born 14 weeks premature, which left him profoundly deaf and wearing hearing aids.

But Jack has not let his early traumas hold him back.

"I would love to following the footsteps of Gareth," he said.

"For the moment, though, I am feeling great.

"I have always dreamt of playing for England and I can't wait to wear my England waistcoat!"