MELKSHAM’S Liam Sanford became the first-ever current Team Bath Buccaneers men’s player to represent England Hockey at senior level as he helped his country to a 5-2 win over South Africa in Cape Town last week.

Talented full-back Sanford, 20, who has been selected for England’s Lottery-funded central programme after impressing in trials, made his debut from the bench during Thursday’s impressive victory.

Sanford, who left his job as an RAF flight operations assistant to join England’s elite squad for their four-Test series, also featured in the 3-0 defeat by Germany and as a substitute in the 1-0 win over South Africa this week.

It’s been something of a whirlwind for the Wiltshire man, who first attended training camps with the senior squad in October and November of last year.

He said: “At first it was a bit of a shock because I’m a young guy.

"Obviously with my job, I had a lot to sort out, but once I found out and it all settled in with all the possibilities there were, it became exciting. I talked to work about it and they were really supportive and it just got more and more exciting.

“Originally, I never thought I would even get trials having been out for eight months and obviously I’m still eligible to play U21s so I was surprised to even get trials, and then when I got the offer, it was just like ‘jeez’.

“I wasn’t really thinking about selection, I was just getting back into the game and enjoying playing again so I didn’t worry about selection.

"I felt like if it came, it came, and if it didn’t, there’s always next year.

“It has all been a crazy couple of months, there’s been a lot to sort out with hockey, work and trying to get a leaving date, so yes it’s been a bit hectic.”

Once the tests in South Africa are complete, England will host the World Hockey League in the summer, which provides the perfect preparation for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast followed by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Sanford said: “My aim is to go to everything, but at the moment, I’m just concentrating on South Africa and trying to do as well as I can.

“There will probably be interviews and stuff to see how we’ve done after that and then I’ll just keep trying to develop and go to as much as I can.”