Tom Moores says his experience practising with the full England team has increased his hunger to succeed with club and country.
The Nottinghamshire Academy prospect recently returned from the UAE with his country’s under 19s, during which he was invited to join the senior team for a wicketkeeping session with Bruce French.
Moores revealed that knowing every England player had once been a teenage pretender too is what helped him calm the nerves.
“It was an unbelievable experience,” he said.
“I was quite nervous before we got into it, but the way I tried to view it was that I was just going to throw myself into it.
“At the end of the day that’s where I want to be, so it was about speaking to the guys, just being a bit of a sponge.
“All the guys had been in my position before so thinking about that sort of helped me and made it a bit easier.
“Obviously they are a long way ahead, the main difference is that they do everything that I do, but they do it quicker and with more consistency.
“But there’s no reason I can’t get there, with hard work and a bit more experience.”
An U19 World Cup in Bangladesh is on the horizon in the New Year, which, if selected, would be a “great experience” according to Moores, who will compete for the gloves with Somerset’s Ryan Davies, but could also play as a batsman.
Domestically, Moores has ambitions to be the Nottinghamshire’s long-term replacement for Chris Read - and he intends to learn as much as possible from his Club Captain in the meantime.
“Ready is still going strong so for me it is a case of keeping my head down, working hard and hopefully that can will come,” he said.
“I would take it tomorrow if it came. I feel ready now but Ready is an unbelievable keeper, he’s great to learn off and when he decides to put the gloves down hopefully it will be me there to pick them up.
“I have been sticking to him like a bee to honey in training. If there is any keeper to learn off you would probably pick him - he is one of the best in the world.
“I’m sure that Ready wants the keeper situation at Notts to be sorted after he leaves, whether that is me or somebody else.”
The 2015 season has seen dramatic last-gasp four day victories, thrilling limited-overs contests and an historic Investec Ashes Test, all in the unique surroundings of Trent Bridge.
Next season, we’d wager, will be no less enthralling and frankly we’d hate for you to miss out.