Motherwell long jumper David Martin has set his sights firmly on the Commomwealth Games in 2014 – and revealed former Scottish champion Darren Ritchie is the man to get him there.

Martin, 21, is coached by the six-time Scottish long jump champion and national record holder Ritchie at the Grangemouth Stadium.

With the games to be held in Glasgow there is an extra incentive for Martin – who jumped 7.14m in 2008 but improved to 7.16m at the Scottish Closed Senior Championships in January – to make the squad.

Martin began his athletics career as a cross-country runer but soon switched to sprinting and the long and triple jumps but revealed Ritchie was the reason behind his long jump switch.

“Darren is a real hero of mine – he is the reason I wanted to move away from sprinting and concentrate more on jumping,” said Martin.

“I used to go to competitions just so I could watch him compete. He is incredibly important regarding my training as he designs every session.

“His experience, knowledge and technical input is valid.”