Few players have achieved as much as Jamie Lyon at such a tender age.

Lyon was spotted by renowned talent scout Noel Cleal and lured to Sydney, where he made his debut for Parramatta as a teenager in 2000.

He quickly became an elite NRL centre. In 2001, Lyon formed a key component of a Parramatta side which broke a host of records on its way to the grand final.

His brilliance won him a spot on the Kangaroo tour, Lyon making his Test debut against Papua New Guinea before playing all three Tests as Australia retained the Ashes.

The gifted centre was still only 18. The following year he made his debut for NSW, cementing a place in the Blues side and confirming his standing as one of the game’s superstars.

In 2003 he maintained his NSW and Australian spots before splitting with the Eels in 2004 and returning to Wee Waa.

Lyon, however, reprised his career in England by joining St Helens, where he is regarded as one of the elite players in Super League. His form was exemplary and in 2005 he won the most pretigious award in the English game - the Man of Steel.

A return to the NRL looks imminent and, when that occurs, only the fool would bet against Lyon quickly regaining his place in the NSW and Australian sides.