“IT’S important you don’t forget where you have come from.”

Those were the words of legendary England full-back Stuart Pearce, as a packed Trinity Club hosted his arrival as part of the Dorchester Town Ability Counts presentation evening and fundraiser.

Speaking to Echosport during the event, the Premier League star, capped by England 78 times, talked about his time in the non-League pyramid at the start of his career with Wealdstone.

His first trip to the county town was a humbling one.

“My debut for Wealdstone as a non-League player was at Dorchester and we got beat 5-1,” he said.

“We got battered. It was a real hiding and I was poor, I played left wing on the day and it was really bad but it started me off on my career basically. I came out of the youth team and the reserves and that was my first opportunity.

“I think that was in about 1979 so I have fond memories of being beaten at Dorchester as you can imagine.”

“I started in the Southern League and Dorchester were in there with Weymouth and a few other teams around this area.”

And while his start to life in the lower echelons of English football did not start so well, Pearce, who also worked as an electrician before entering the professional game, remains grateful to his upbringing at Wealdstone.

“Without that football club when I left school at 16, I had nowhere to play football,” he added.

“To get the opportunity to go and play in their youth side, then the reserves and then, obviously, I had five-and-a-half years and near enough 250 games for them before I got the opportunity to go into the league.

“Without that grounding I would have never got a chance in the pro game probably.

“I do a fair bit for Wealdstone when I get the opportunity. I think it’s important for people like myself who have gone on within the pro game.

“When you see the likes of Jamie Vardy now who has got in the England senior squad and who has had a non-League background like myself. It’s important you don’t forget where you have come from.”

Comparing the current standard in the non-League game to when he was a part of it, the former Nottingham Forest man claimed: “I think probably the standard has improved.

“It’s pretty strong still and you’ve only got to look at teams that come out the Conference and go in the League, they normally do pretty well.

“If you are going to buy a player in this day in age you are going to have to pay a premium for him, even if he is a non-League player.”

Like Pearce, a man who has made the step to Premier League level is ex-Magpie Danny Ings, who had a spell on loan at the Avenue in 2010 and is currently part of the England squad for the European Under-21 Championship finals.

In a recent interview, former England Under-21 boss Pearce publicly backed Ings’ imminent switch from Burnley to Liverpool and he gave Echosport more insight into what he feels the former Magpies’ man has to offer.

He said: “It was a difficult season for him last year and he did very well getting them promoted at Burnley.

“Obviously last season he scored goals in the Premier League in a step up in his career. He has every chance and going to Liverpool has given him a great platform to push his career on.

“It’s not going to be easy but at this moment in time he is getting great experience at the under-21 finals and he will come back to pre-season at Liverpool which is fantastic for him.”