LOCAL tennis prodigy Daniel Cox checked in at Loughborough University on Thursday to take the next step on his confident march through the game's junior ranks.

The 12-year-old from Westhoughton - the British number one and ranked sixth in Europe for his age - has taken up a scholarship at the Lawn Tennis Association's new state of the art Academy and over the next three years will receive specialist coaching and guidance designed to steer him onto the professional circuit.

For now, Wimbledon, Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows are distant dreams for the former Rivington and Blackrod High School pupil but his very presence among a handful of juniors in the LTA's elite squad underlines the potential he has shown and which this summer saw him sweep the board with four major tournament wins.

Daniel's father is former Lincoln City and Doncaster footballer and now tennis coach Mark Cox - namesake but no relation of the former British number one - who has seen his son blossom into one of the country's top young talents since he first played serious tennis as an eight-year-old.

"The national academy is the next stage of Daniel's development," he said. "He's had a great summer and the winter series is approaching when he will be looking to push on.

"He's got the potential to get into the world's top 200 but we will have to see how he develops from here. He is determined to succeed, though, and at Loughborough he will be coached by Dan Sanders and Leighton Alfred, the head coach of the academy, and he will enjoy the best of facilities.

"His first year is already planned with his first trip looking like being to France and then Slovenia but tennis has already taken him all over the world. He's been to a number of European tournaments, gaining valuable experience and this year picked up a lot of European Tennis Association points with impressive performances in two big tournaments in Portugal."

Small for his age but quick on the court and mentally tough with the kind of aggressive streak he so admires in his sporting hero, former World number one Andre Agassi, Daniel regularly takes on and beats players much taller and older than himself.

"Agassi always attacks," the fiesty youngster explains. "He doesn't just sit back and wait for his opponents to lose points and I always try to play an aggressive game."

Boosted by a new five-year sponsorship agreement with the Manchester-based Gulf Finance and Investment Co, Daniel has just served up a string of wins including the Summer Series Clay Courts - the big national event at Welwyn Garden City - the U14s Scottish Open, the Scottish ETA U14s and most recently the British National U13s title at Bournemouth.

Daniel has already had the thrill of playing on Wimbledon's famous Centre Court, three years ago when he took part in an LTA Futures Programme demonstration. "I was nervous to begin with," he recalls, "but I really enjoyed the atmosphere."

Now, after two years at the Bolton Arena under the tutelage of Chris Peet, the LTA's County Performance Officer, Lincoln-born Daniel is looking forward to joining the cream of the nation's young tennis talent.

"He makes the decisions," Mr Cox says of his confident son. "He has controlled his own programme since he was 10. He knows what he wants to do.

"Rivington and Blackrod School have been tremendous and Bolton Arena have been able to give him free court time, which has helped him a lot.

"Chris Peet has done a fantastic job on him but now he needs to move on to progress his game."