Ashley Jackson has been described as a ‘once in a generation’ player.

The East Grinstead midfielder has just enjoyed one of the best weekends of his glittering hockey career.

On Friday the 27-year-old was announced as one of the five nominations for FIH World Player of the Year.

Then on Saturday morning Jackson was in the England side that won 3-1 in their opening game of the Champions Trophy against an Australia side ranked No.1 in the world.

Twenty-four hours later he broke the England and Great Britain all-time goalscoring record with his 111th international goal in an 8-2 drubbing of Pakistan.

In netting England’s fifth goal, Jackson passed Callum Giles’ 110 England and Great Britain goals scored between 1995 and 2000.

It is a remarkable tally by Jackson, whose haul has been accomplished in just 191 appearances.

The 2009 FIH World Young Player of the Year will look to add to his goals total when table-topping England take on Germany in the quarter-finals of the Champions Trophy on Thursday morning.

Jackson first joined East Grinstead as a 14-year-old and has spent all of his club career at Saint Hill, apart from a spell in Holland with HGC.

Richard Leman knows how hard it is to achieve at the highest level.

Now 55, Leman won 228 caps for England and Great Britain, claiming a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and then gold four years later in Seoul.

He remains an eminent figure in English hockey so when he talks about Jackson in the highest regard then you realise what a star he is.

Leman told The Argus: “To have such a world hockey star based in Sussex is a wonderful thing.

“It is really exciting that he has taken the England and Great Britain goals record and I’m sure there is many more in him yet. He is still only 27.

“He has been in the top five players in the world for a couple of years now and I’m sure he will stay there for another three or four years yet and hopefully he will get maybe two more Olympics.

“Ashley is a truly exceptional player, a once in a generation player.”

Leman has always been proud of his links with East Grinstead.

He believes Jackson is an excellent modern-day role model for youngsters within the club and those getting a first taste of hockey through the club’s holiday courses.

Leman said: “We are very lucky at East Grinstead to have Ashley having played pretty much all his senior career at the club other than when he had a stint in Holland.

“He is a wonderful example to youngsters with his work ethic and the way he engages with them.”