As a rookie on the Professional Squash Association circuit, Alan Clyne has made his first tentative steps on the ladder of success. Come 2008, he hopes to bound upwards.

The 21-year-old has shown a rapid improvement over the past few months, and has the honour of leading Scotland into the world championships in Chennai in India in December. With world No.10 John White unavailable, Clyne takes on the responsibility of Scotland's No.1 player.

It will be a great experience for the young Scot who is set to become a full-time professional from the moment he gains his B.Ed. degree in Physical Education early next year.

Over the past four months, he has played in just three world events, but passed the qualifying test every time and is currently at No.165 on the PSA raking list.

"I only started in September and I'm pleased with my results so far," said Clyne, who comes from Munlochy on the Black Isle. "Once I graduate next May then I will be able fully to concentrate on the circuit and I think that a realistic goal is to make the top 100 by the end of 2008."

Since the halcyon days of Peter Nicol and Martin Heath, Scottish squash has suffered a little lull in terms of producing home grown talent - White was born in Australia and only switched allegiance when he was almost the finished article.

But Clyne is one of the new generation moulded into shape by two influential Australians, Paul Frank and Roger Flynn.

Frank, now the National Performance Director, arrived in Scotland in 1999 and Clyne was one of the first players accepted onto a new innovative junior programme.

"We virtually started from scratch in 2000, but now we are at a very exciting time in Scottish squash," stated Frank, who is married to former Scottish internationalist, Louise Philip. "From this year's world team, Alan, Harry Leitch and Jamie Macauley have all come through the junior programme based at Heriot-Watt University at Riccarton.

"We also have Graham Melvin, Claire Kidd and Lisa Aitken making progress at the highest level."

Flynn, who has coached a number of Australia's world stars, including the long-time woman No.1, Sarah Fitz-Gerald, Carol Owens, Anthony Hill and Paul Price, was another important cog in the wheel.

Thanks to backing from Sportscotland, he joined the team just over a year ago, and his expertise and wealth of knowledge has proved invaluable.

"I'd known Paul for years and knew we were on the same wavelength," said Flynn, a renowned player of the early 1980s and a former head coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport in Melbourne. "He told me there were a clutch of players in Scotland just ready to make their mark.

"The time was right for me to move overseas, so I decided to jump on board and go with it. So far, I'm delighted. It has been fantastic fun."

Frank describes Flynn as "the best squash coach in the world", and Clyne is just as enthusiastic.

"Roger is fantastic," he said. "My game has improved dramatically since he joined the programme.

Frank has already outlined serious goals for the growing number of players emerging from this new conveyor belt of talent.

"We want to win medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, and I'll be disappointed if at least one of this current generation don't make the world's top ten," he said.

Clyne is the first with the target in mind. Having taken up the game at Inverness Tennis and Squash Club at the tender age of four, he quickly made his mark and he was lucky that his parents were willing to help out as chauffeurs.

"From the age of 12, I travelled to Edinburgh almost every weekend," he recalled. It was a tough routine - but it could soon be reaping the deserved rewards.

EB
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