WHEN Jack Stephens was a boy, he was such a prodigious talent he had to be substituted at half-time - with his school team leading 13-0.

Matt Evans, the head of PE at Torpoint Community College, recalls a talented all-round sportsman, who also excelled at tennis, rugby and athletics.

"We had a very good relationship with Plymouth Argyle so Jack played a lot of sport for the school teams," he said.

"He played in a variety of positions but most of the time he was given a free role; he was so athletic he could cover the whole pitch.

"He led our football team to the county cup but in one game we had to take him off at half-time because it was too unfair on the opposition!

"He was also an excellent middle distance runner and a very good fly-half alongside his best mate at scrum-half.

"But he's also a very nice down-to-earth lad who's never been big-time. The next time I see him I'll be reminding him we still have to finish a tennis set that was tied at 6-6 at the end of one lesson!"

Stephens' performance in Saints' EFL Cup semi-final win at Liverpool was the talk of his alma mater, where his mum Pip is the attendance officer.

So too a likely second appearance at Wembley (he played in Swindon's 4-0 League One play-off final defeat against Preston two years ago).

Stephens recently celebrated his 23rd birthday but made his Plymouth debut under Peter Reid just a few months after sitting his GCSEs.

At 16 years and eight months, he was the youngest to play in English football's top four divisions in 2010.

After six games alongside Bondz N'Gala and Reda Johnson, Eastleigh defenders past and present, he was snapped up by Saints for an initial £150,000.

Already an established Under-21 international, it would be no surprise to many in the west country if he becomes only the second Cornishman, after former Bristol Rovers, Crystal Palace and Leeds goalkeeper Nigel Martyn, to win full England honours.

Only four other Cornishmen - Matthew Etherington, Wayne Quinn, Chris Morris and Kevin Miller - are believed have played in the Premier League.

Plymouth scout John James first spotted Stephens as a 12 year-old and was also the man who picked out Sam Gallagher, the Saints striker on loan at Blackburn.

He said: "Jack was always going to be a footballer. He was a tall lad even then but stood out because he was so good on the ground which isn't always the case with defenders.

I'm very pleased for the boy and hopefully he'll go on and become a full international.

"He doesn't flap, he reads the game very well and also did very well when I saw him play for the Under-21s at Plymouth last year.

"He didn't start brilliantly for us but made gradual progress. He has a great family behind him, lovely people who gave him all the encouragement and support he needed.

"I think going on loan to Middlesbrough, Coventry and Swindon was a great experience for him.

"He's a very versatile centre-half, at one stage I thought he might become a full-back and is very good at organising a back four. If he carries on as he's going I can see him making the full England squad."