POOLE-born talent Ben White has been named in England's provisional squad for this summer's European Championship.

The 23-year-old grew up in the south, attending Queen Elizabeth's School in Wimborne, while also playing football for county side Poole and East Dorset.

His path to the top was far from straightforward, released by Southampton as a teenager and coming through lower league loan spells, before helping Leeds United clinch promotion from the Championship last season and now establishing himself as a key centre-back for Brighton & Hove Albion.

White has been named in Gareth Southgate's inflated 33-man selection, which will be whittled down to 26 next week ahead of the delayed Euro 2020 getting underway on June 11.

Discussing his earliest memories of football, White told YouTube channel GAFFER: "In the garden with my mum. I’d be playing out there and she’d be hanging the washing up or something like that and I’d tell her to get in goal and boot the ball at her! She’d stay out there for hours with me."

Asked when he first started playing as part of a team, White added: "I joined a little local side on a Sunday, played that for a season or so. I was playing midfield.

"Then I had a trial at Southampton at the end of that season."

Asked who was in Saints' academy at the same time as him, White continued: "I think (Alex Oxlade) Chamberlain, Prowsey (James Ward-Prowse), (Jack) Stephens, who are all playing in the Premier League now. They’re not really my age, they were three years older than me, but they were the ones that I was watching.

"After training they would be playing on the Saturday and I’d watch all their games."

White failed to make the grade at Saints, let go as a teenager.

But he quickly found a new home, joining Brighton's academy in 2014. He spent time out on loan at Newport County and Peterborough United, before his successful season with Leeds.

Discussing his release from Saints, White said: "It was hard. I didn’t get anything at 16. You’re just booted out and that’s it really.

"You’re done and you’ve got to find your own way back. Luckily I managed to do that and get my trial at Brighton."

White was part of a successful county side during his school days.

The defender was part of a Poole and East Dorset under-15s team which included Sam Surridge, who has gone on to become part of Cherries' first-team squad, as well as Cherries academy midfielder Keelan O'Connell and Weymouth goalkeeper Gerard Benfield.

They reached the 2013 English Schools under-15 Trophy quarter-finals, with a dramatic win over Swansea at Canford Park. The 4-4 draw included a stunning long-range White strike, before both he and Surridge notched in the penalty shoot-out triumph.

Gavin Rusling, one of White's teachers at QE School, told The Athletic: "He was always a talented all-round sportsman.

“He’s a quiet lad but fiercely determined to succeed.

“He was gutted about that (getting released by Saints), but he still believed in his ability.”

White is one of six centre-backs in the provisional England squad.

He is competing with the likes of John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Conor Coady and Ben Godfrey for a place in the final 26-man group.