A tennis ace from Altrincham has been invited to train at one of the best centres in the country for producing Britain’s tennis stars of the future.

Oliver Critchley, 12, who is a pupil at The Manchester Grammar School, has been invited by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to train alongside the very best young players in the north of England at the Bolton Arena, one of the LTA’s High Performance Centres.

His training will take place throughout the next nine months and will consist of elite strength, conditioning and training, playing alongside the very best young tennis talent in the UK to develop his already impressive game.

Oliver has been playing since he was just four and has just ended his last under-12 season where he was ranked number one in Cheshire and in the top 50 in the UK.

In August, he represented Lancashire in an under-14 tournament at Wimbledon where he reached the last 16.

Mum Julie said: “Tennis is Oliver’s passion. He gets out of bed every morning at 6am to train before going to school and then trains four nights a week after school.

“It’s a very tough sport, he knows he has a lot to learn and a long way to go but he’s willing to work hard to get better.”

Mark Walmsley, Director of Sport at The Manchester Grammar School, added: “This is a huge honour for Oliver and testament to not only his impressive skills on the tennis court but also his dedication and hard work.

“We are delighted that he has been recognised as one of the top young tennis players in the country and has been given such a great opportunity to further enhance his talents on the court.”