HOTSHOT pool sensation Karl Sutton has made it a clean sweep of England call-ups.The talented 22-year-old made it into the men's senior team at the first time of trying to complete a whirlwind six years of success.

HOTSHOT pool sensation Karl Sutton has made it a clean sweep of England call-ups.

The talented 22-year-old made it into the men's senior team at the first time of trying to complete a whirlwind six years of success. For after spending two years playing for the juniors and three years for the U21 team, the Lowestoft pool ace competed against the best 64 players in the country during national trials at Great Yarmouth's Holiday Park recently and received praise from England manager Rob Uzell as he qualified for the senior national team.

'I've been playing on the circuit for four years now, and am up to 31 in the world rankings,' Sutton told The Journal. 'Moving up from the juniors to the men's game was completely different and for the first two years I took time to adapt. I lost in the final of the world championships a couple of years ago but last year things just clicked and I done really well on the tour.'

So much so that Sutton, who works full time in book-keeping and accounts, now regularly plays on baizes around the country on the tour some 40 weekends a year.

'I won a big amateur cup last year, beating the current World Champion and the European Champion at the time - who are both English - on the way to lifting the trophy, and I'm not scared of playing them now,' he admitted.

'I've beat them once so I can do it again, and although I'm the youngest in the squad of 16 I'm looking forward to wearing my England vest and hopefully getting a place in the team for the world championships later this year.'

Admitting that the call-up earlier this month 'had only just started to sink in' Sutton continue to hone his skills by playing in the Lowestoft Monday evening and Thursday evening pool league for champions Lake Lothing, as well as playing regularly for Suffolk.

'The aim now is to continue to try and better myself and learn from the likes of three-times world champion Gareth Potts and world number one and England captain Lee Kendall,' Sutton told The Journal.

With his family and Lake Lothing public house, on Rotterdam Road, backing him all the way to the top, landlord Benny Dighton said: 'We've been sponsoring Karl for the last four years and it is a great achievement for him and the town to receive England recognition. We wish him every success in what he does.'