TEENAGE wheelchair tennis star Josh Steels has admitted he only has a slim chance of making the Paralympic squad for London 2012, despite an impressive 2011.

The 18-year-old, who trains at the Devonshire Health and racquet Club in Plymouth, believes he was simply too late on the scene as a senior to make the cut for the 2012 team.

But the former British junior star is optimistic his chance will come further down the line and has earmarked the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, Brazil as his golden opportunity.

Steels said: "To make the Paralympics this year would be an achievement in itself.

"You need to have a ranking inside the top 75 in the world and at the moment I'm 165th, so my chances are extremely slim.

"I'm okay with missing out. Obviously it's going to be an amazing event, but the way I look at it is that it's not as if I've lost a load of games and let myself down, it's just the fact that I've come on the scene late.

"If the Olympics were one or two years away I would have a much better chance of making it."

The Lipson Community College student may miss out on the chance to compete in London, but Steels has already had a taste of the action after competing in a test event at Eton Manor and even taking on Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Steels said: "London is going to be a huge event, even if I am not competing I am hoping to do some work experience up there and get involved with the media.

"When I went up to play in the test event at Eton Manor it was amazing to see the scale of it all.

"I played on the courts and tried them out. They are carpet, which is what I'm used to at the Devonshire so it was good and obviously meeting the mayor was nice."

Steels has made the jump from boys' wheelchair tennis to the seniors and the Plymouth-born starlet is hoping to achieve consistency in his game as he works towards breaking into the top 100 ITF world rankings.

He said: "My goal for 2012 is to break into the top 100. I really need to make the step up as I'm not a junior anymore.

"I was a big fish in a small pond. Now I am a small fish in a big pond.

"The main thing I have noticed is the consistency of players on the senior circuit.

"They make fewer mistakes than players in the juniors so it's harder to take points off them.

"They hit the ball a lot harder and get a lot of power behind their shots, but I know I can compete with them physically, it's just a matter of consistency.

"I have eyed up a few tournaments in Austria and Switzerland which could go a long way to bettering my ranking, so that will be a good test.

"One thing I love about playing wheelchair tennis is the travelling. I get to see the world and play against some great tennis players."

Steels, who trains every day either in the gym or on court at the Devonshire, is confident he can achieve his ambitions in the game while studying, citing his competitive nature as a key attribute.

He said: "I have an intense training programme I stick to. I'm either in the gym or hitting so it's quite full on.

"I've been lucky in that I have been able to do my BTEC over three years, which has allowed me more freedom to train and compete.

"I'm naturally highly competitive so I think I just bring that into studying and get on with work that needs doing."

Steels is part of the governing body Tennis Foundation's Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) which helps with funding, as well as being a member of The Herald-backed Team Plymouth programme.

He believes more people should get involved in wheelchair tennis, because of the benefits on and off the court.

Steels said: "I'm the only ranked player from the Plymouth area but there are a lot of beginners who play wheelchair tennis.

"My coach Richard Stafford has been a great role model and has been a really positive influence. I owe him a lot."

Steels added: "It's not just a sport, it helps build confidence and self-esteem which is important and you get to travel the world and meet lots of new people, so it's something I highly recommend."

Steels is not just an internationally-ranked wheelchair tennis player, he is also a keen wheelchair basketball player and has recently joined the newly founded Plymouth Storm Wheelchair Basketball Club.

He said: "I have always been a big fan of wheelchair basketball. It's great to meet new people and play in a team sport for a change.

"I use basketball in my off-time just to play a different sport. But tennis will always been my main sport."