A BOLTON badminton player celebrates his 17th birthday next week with an England call-up.

Gary Fox, from Atherton, who plays for the Markland Hill club in the Bolton League will travel to Arnhem in the Netherlands later this month to play for the England Under-17s team in the six-nations' tournament.

The selection crowns a highly successful season for the student from St Mary's Sixth Form College in Astley.

With his Yorkshire partners Chris Allen and Gaby White, Gary has won a clutch of under-17s' titles to become number one nationally in his age-group.

And he has partnered fellow club member Julian Priestley, who like Gary, plays for the Lancashire senior squad, in senior tournaments with great success.

Gary is from a badminton-playing family - mum Anne and elder brother Anthony, aged 20, are also members of the Heaton club.

He is also coached there by Bolton's former Olympic and Commonwealth Games' badminton champion Chris Hunt, and Anne Fox paid tribute to his work as "making a real difference" to Gary's play.

"We're also very grateful to Julian and to other members of Markland Hill who have played with Gary and encouraged him," she added.

Gary now has his sights set on playing for his country in the Olympics.

"Chris (Hunt) doesn't think Gary will be ready for the 2012 Olympics in London," said Anne.

"But he will be only 26 at the 2016 Olympics so that's what he's working towards."