Minster's Ross Wilson aiming to channel his inner Thierry Henry in bid for table tennis triumph at Commonwealth Games

Ross Wilson hopes he can live up to his billing as the 'Thierry Henry of table tennis' at the Commonwealth Games this summer.

Aged seven, the Minster-born star won his first-ever table tennis competition while wearing an Arsenal shirt on a family holiday to Center Parcs.

The organiser of the competition was so impressed by Wilson's natural ability that he coined a phrase comparing him to the prolific ex-Gunners striker and World Cup winner.

Exactly two decades later, Wilson is eyeing even higher acclaim as part of Team England's para table tennis squad at Birmingham 2022 under the tutelage of one of his early table tennis heroes, Andrew Rushton.

"We went on a family holiday to Center Parcs, and I started playing in a competition there, I think against my sisters, who also used to play," Wilson said.

"I won the competition there and I had a Thierry Henry shirt on and the guy running it called me the Thierry Henry of table tennis, and it all started from there. I've been playing ever since.

"I watched so many Commonwealth Games when I was little. I remember watching some doubles matches of Andrew Rushton, who is now one of my coaches.

"He shared his experiences, and it went perfectly in Australia [four years ago] so hopefully I can build on that in Birmingham."

Wilson is bidding to defend the singles title he won in the men's class 8 on the Gold Coast in 2018.

He is one of more than 1,100 elite athletes on UK Sport's National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full-time, have access to the world's best coaches and benefit from pioneering technology, science, and medical support.

Next on the agenda is starting a psychology degree at Sheffield Hallam University in September.

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