SOME people have never heard of the Faroe Islands -- let alone pin-point it's location on an atlas.

Of course, football aficionados are aware of the Faroes national team, especially since it held Berti Vogts' Scotland to a surprise 2-2 draw in a European Championship qualifier two years ago.

The isolated North Sea outpost, whose international fixtures were held in Sweden in the early 1990's because they had no grass fields, holds good memories for Mark Danks, the Worcester City new-boy.

Then a teenager learning his trade at Wolverhampton Wanderers, striker Danks was chosen for England Schoolboys Under 16 touring squad to the Nordic Cup.

Selected alongside several of today's high-profile stars, such as Charlton's Darren Bent and Chelsea full-back Glen Johnson, Danks earned four caps during the multi-team tournament held in Torshavn, Faroes' chilly capital.

"Playing for England was fantastic, probably the best thing ever to happen to me," said Danks.

"It was for England's Under 16 in a schoolboy tournament.

"The Faroe Islands is cold, very cold, but it's a lovely place actually. It is not what you would expect. It was basically like England, just colder.

"I was out there with some good players. A fair few of them have gone on to make a name for themselves, players like Darren Bent and Matt Kilgannon at Leeds.

"I won four caps against Sweden, Denmark, Scotland and Norway. We eventually lost the final to Sweden, which was a shame, but it was a great experience."

While Bent and Johnson continued to the very top -- now both big Premier League earners and recent inclusions to England's senior squad -- Danks, like so many others, struggled to make the elite.

The 21-year-old left Molineux to go to Bradford City for one season, before entering non-league football at Halesowen and then Hednesford, where he smashed 24 goals in 42 appearances in 2003/04.

It was with the Pitmen that Danks teamed up with current City full-back Les Hines and scooped the FA Trophy.

Danks said: "Funnily enough, the first time I played against Worcester, Les put the ball in for me to score. That is pretty ironic."

The Stourbride-based striker is also hugely familiar with his new St George's Lane team-mates.

During his Wolves days, Danks was close to Jimmi-Lee Jones, while he played alongside defenders Des Lyttle and Chris Smith during stints at Forest Green and Stafford respectively.

He added: "Des gave me the odd rollicking now and again at Forest Green and Chris was there at Stafford.

"To be fair, I know most of the lads from my time at Hednesford. I played against them while I was there. They are a great bunch and it has made it easier for me coming here."

Danks is comfortable with his new surroundings but despite a promising debut in Saturday's 1-0 win at Gainsborough Trinity, he believes competition at City is fierce.

He said: "There would be no point coming here if I knew it would be easy. It's up to me to raise myself.

"I've not been to a club with the calibre of strikers that are here already. I've been very impressed with Troy Wood in training. He's good enough to be at this level and I don't think I was at his age.

"Troy and Jimmi-Lee are the two players similar to me in style. I'm not the same as the gaffer, Leon or Webby. They have got their own qualities."