Anna Jameson & Dan Wareing

BBC News, Lancashire

A basketball player has thanked his college coaches and those who "inspired" him as a 10-year-old, after he became only the third English-born active player in the NBA in the United States.

Amari Williams, originally from Nottingham, moved up to Lancashire to perfect his game at Myerscough College in Preston before moving to Drexel University and the University of Kentucky.

On Friday, the 23-year-old was selected by Boston Celtics as part of the NBA's draft system, and will join the side ahead of the new season in October.

He told the BBC his selection was proof "it's possible to come from England and still reach the higher stage".

He said it was "surreal" to see his name on the screen when the news was announced.

"There's a lot of guys I watched here in England from when I was 10, some of who aren't playing any more, but they're the ones who really inspired me to get here."

Williams, who is 7ft (2.1m) tall, attended Trinity College in Nottingham before he moved to Lancashire at the age of 16.

"I feel moving away from home was the most fun I ever had, and I only knew one other person going into that college," he told BBC North West Tonight.

"Being in the farm area of Preston there's not much to do, but that's where the brotherhood forms."

Williams said he remembered his days at Myerscough College as "jam-packed".

"We used to wake up at 7.45am just to do shooting practice and then we'd go to class, and come back for shooting practice afterwards.

"My coach and the trainers we had, prepared all of us for when we were to make the next step, whether that was here or in America."

The Lancashire college said on its website its basketball studies course had "quickly risen to be one of the prominent junior programmes in the United Kingdom and is home to some of the top players in the region".

Williams has spent the last year playing for the Kentucky Wildcats, a college side at the University of Kentucky, where he had a successful season.

He said the move to Boston was the right one, especially with the club's record in the NBA: a record-breaking 18 titles.

"At the moment I'm seeing a lot of new things: staff, players, the facilities, the city, and I'm enjoying it," he said.

"Boston Celtics have had a lot of champions over the years and they won in 2024, so it's definitely a winning side."