I AM a living proof that sport needs its heroes.

Sir Bradley Wiggins famously cited Chris Boardman’s stunning gold-medal winning performance at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as his inspiration to get into cycling.

The fact Wiggins went on to far exceed his idol’s Olympic medal haul is an extreme example of the effect successful sportsmen and women can have on the next generation.

Not every impressionable young viewer glued to the TV set during the Olympics, World Cup or the Ashes will go on to achieve worldwide sporting fame.

But without those images I am certain fewer children would be moved to take to their bikes, or pick up a bat or ball.

My lightbulb moment came in 1985, when Europe beat the United States at the Belfry to lift the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1957.

From the moment Sam Torrence sank the winning putt I was hooked on golf, and have been every since.

No-one in my family played golf at the time, but my best mate, who had also been inspired by the scenes at the Belfry, convinced his mum to take us down to the municipal course at Regent Park.

I wish I could say that was the start of my road to golfing glory, but the fact I am sitting here writing this column would suggest otherwise.

The fact I am still pretty rubbish at golf, almost 30 years later, is even stronger proof of the life-changing effect of sporting heroes.

I was lucky in the sense that Europe went on to repeat their Ryder Cup glory again, and again, and again.

Maybe if there had been another 28-year wait for success my interest might have waned, but, in any case, my hero worship transferred to Nick Faldo after his success at both The Open and the US Masters.

Golf was not an easy sport to get into as a 10-year-old.

I had to persuade my parents to buy me a set of clubs and I remember having to lug them on two buses just to get to the course during school holidays.

But that did not stop me from trying to re-enact the match-winning shots of my new idols.

Over the years, my golfing circle increased as I convinced my younger brother and other school friends to join me on the course.

And that multiplier effect is crucial to local clubs.

Courses always seem to get a little busier around the time of the Masters, Open or Ryder Cup.

And I am sure this week will be no different, when the world’s media descends on Gleneagles to beam back the drama unfolding in this year’s Ryder Cup.

Whether or not the next Faldo is out there glued to their TV set this week, I believe the future success of all grassroots sport depends on us continuing to produce new heroes.