A right-back who had been capped by England at U16 and U17 level, before stepping up to the U19 squad in early 2011. He was a part of the U17 squad which reached the European Championship Finals in Germany in 2009.
James started his career with West Bromwich Albion before making a move to Portsmouth and then returning to the Hawthorns two years later, where he is now in the first team squad.
Hurst was called into the U20 squad for the first time in the summer of 2011 for the FIFA World Cup in Colombia.