James Tomkins is tipped for a bright future in the game having long been involved in the England youth set-up.

Basildon-born Tomkins is renowned as a ball-playing central defender who is as comfortable in possession as he is rising above attackers to clear his lines. The imposing youth academy product endured a frustrating stop-start time in the 2006/07 season after two shoulder injuries but battled back to fitness by October of the following campaign. A fine display in the 1-0 reserve-team win against Tottenham Hotspur suggested that he was close to recapturing his best form and, alongside Jack Collison and Freddie Sears, began to capture the attention of Alan Curbishley.

Like his younger club-mate and fellow centre-back Jordan Spence, the England youth international made his Young Lions mark at Under-17 level but by the end of 2007 was firmly established as a regular at U19 level as well. Tomkins made the first-team breakthough on 22 March 2008 when he played the full 90 minutes of a 1-1 draw at Everton. He had previously been an unused substitute for the away match at Arsenal on New Year's Day and the home match against Blackburn Rovers on 15 March 2008.