THE Isle of Wight is in the front line of a soccer revolution that is sweeping the country.

The popularity of beach football is growing at an incredible rate and nowhere is that more evident than on the Island where the start of the new season is eagerly anticipated.

It has the most flourishing weekly league in the country and - incredibly - no fewer than five players in the England international set-up.

The fabulous five rub shoulders with the likes of John Scales - who became the country's most expensive defender when he signed for Liverpool - as well as another former Liverpool and Spurs player Paul Walsh.

If they can emulate the fortunes of the Island's most successful beach soccer export, T D Al-Said, then great things lie ahead.

In football parlance, T D's life has turned on a sixpence in the last year.

The 19-year-old former builder personifies the beach football phenomenon. He has gone from banging in nails to banging in goals and from converting lofts to converting chances as a rising star in the game.

T D has appeared on Sky Sports, will compete in tournaments in some of the world's most exotic locations and is even rumoured to be featured as a character in a forthcoming X-Box computer game.

Shanklin's T D is astounded at his rise to an England star.

After an injury wrecked his hopes of playing Premiership football - he had trials with Charlton Athletic and West Ham United - he kicked a ball for the first time at the initial IW beach soccer tournament last summer . . . and was spotted by scouts who liked what they saw.

T D said: "It is surreal when friends come up and say they have seen me on TV.

"To be honest, the whole thing is amazing. It'll be even better when they start paying us."

In his debut, he became the first Englishman to score a hat-trick for his country and was soon joined in the England camp by another Islander Iain Seabrook, 16, also of Shanklin, who promptly became the second Englishman to score a hat-trick.

But as the Island's profile as the mecca for the sport grows, three other players have been invited for national training later this month.

Paul Haward, 19, of Lake, Sandown High pupil Mark Mitchell, 17, of Sandown and chef G C Giancovich, 21, of Ventnor, have been selected alongside TD and Iain for the squad meeting in Brighton on April 27.

Behind the beach football revolution are John Hawkins and Joe Redston who run Fake Tan Promotions.

Even they are surprised with the speed at which the sport has taken hold.

It less than a year since the bandwagon kicked off with a knock-out tournament at Small Hope Beach, Shanklin.

A league followed and quickly attracted 12 teams in two divisions. This year, there will be 20 teams taking part when the season kicks off at Small Hope on June 15.

The weekend before sees the Wightlink Cup, a 32-team weekend knockout competition, while the week before that, again at Small Hope, is the Fake Tan Promotions Cup, an exhibition event featuring the winners of last season's cup and league winners.

"It has just got bigger and bigger and we can only push on from here," Joe said. "The Island is an ideal beach soccer venue because of the number of beaches we have and the good weather.

"As a result, we are uniquely placed to supply English internationals because the sport is taken more seriously here than anywhere else in the UK."

He also offered hope to all would-be internationals.

"The thing about beach soccer is that it requires a special set of skills. Just because you may not be good at football on a conventional pitch doesn't mean you can't cut it on sand," said Joe.