James Hill's remarkable journey to first England call-up should inspire a generation

Eight years ago, James Hill attended a Talent Transfer workshop that was designed to help young footballers prepare for alternative careers in case their dreams of turning professional failed to materialise.

At the time, Hill was hoping to make his mark at then-League One side Fleetwood Town after a difficult start to his footballing journey, which included being released by Bolton Wanderers at 14.

He'd also failed to earn a contract after trials with Blackpool and Everton, but time and time again, he bounced back and persevered, showing the kind of resilience that ultimately proved he was destined for the top.

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James Hill went above and beyond to make it at Fleetwood - and it paid off

Hill was desperate to succeed. Even after making his record-breaking debut for Fleetwood, the centre-back would train with the under-18s before first-team duties, just to make sure he was prepared.

In fact, Hill would clean the captain’s and manager’s boots to stay grounded, not to mention the fact he would go and collect stray balls from the pond near Fleetwood's training ground.

“I’d be crawling into the pond, trying not to fall in and making sure one of the boys helping wasn’t going to push me in,” he told The Guardian. “I wanted to make sure I did the best job possible to show that I’d do the same if called upon.”

James Hill became Fleetwood's youngest player at 16. Image credit: Getty

Hill would go on to establish himself as a first-team regular at Highbury Stadium before securing a £1 million move to then-Championship side Bournemouth in 2022.

But it still wasn't plain sailing for the Bristol-born defender, who was sent out on loan to Scottish Premiership side Hearts and Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers in 2023.

He was recalled from that loan at Blackburn in January 2024 and eventually, Andoni Iraola handed Hill his chance to shine on a regular basis towards the end of the year. He never looked back.

Hill established himself as an important member of Iraola's squad across the 2025/26 campaign, making 22 starts in the Premier League as the Cherries secured European football for the first time in their history.

And the defender has continued to impress. In fact, Hill has made the most clearances (210) and won the most aerial duels (138) in the Premier League in 2026.

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As a result of his form, the 24-year-old received a thoroughly deserved call-up to Thomas Tuchel's England squad after Arsenal's Ezri Konsa dropped out through injury.

Bournemouth head coach Marco Rose recently hailed Hill as "one of the best defenders in England", a claim Tuchel could put to the test on Thursday, when his side face Croatia at Wembley.

Hill has been one of Bournemouth's standout performers this season. Image credit: Getty

For young players who have experienced rejection at an early age, Hill's journey is a reminder of what can be achieved through hard work, perseverance and, perhaps most importantly, self-belief.

"I’m a big believer that everyone’s opportunity comes at different points," he said back in May.