Steelworker named captain of England's pool team

Ashley Ellis will lead England at the European Championships later this year

A Scunthorpe steelworker is cueing up for glory after being named captain of the England pool team.

Ashley Ellis, 37, who works as a roofer at British Steel, will be leading his country at the European Championships in Ireland later this year.

Mr Ellis said he was very confident ahead of the tournament and would be proudly sporting the British Steel logo on his match shirt.

"I'm ready to enjoy it and hopefully come back with gold," he said.

Mr Ellis first picked up a pool cue when he was six, joining his grandad every weekend at Bottesford Town Social Club.

"I used to stand on an old beer crate to play shots," he said. "Ever since then I've loved the game."

For the past 10 years, Mr Ellis has played at Showmans Sports Bar in Scunthorpe, which he said was "absolutely fantastic" with a "friendly environment".

The steelworker rose through the local leagues and captained the Lincolnshire county team before being selected to represent his country in 2023.

Two years on from then, Mr Ellis put his name forward for the England captaincy, and was chosen.

He described the moment he got the call as "special", with his wife, two stepchildren and grandad by his side.

His stepchildren will also be playing at the European Championships for the Under 15s and Under 18s, which "makes it even more special".

While he has captained teams before, leading the England side will be a whole different ball game.

"It's a bit more of a daunting task - a bit more of responsibility on your shoulders," Mr Ellis said.

He added that British Steel had supported him throughout his journey, despite its recent troubles.

"Obviously, they've been having tough times, and you've just got to stick with it and keep turning up to work. That's all you can do," he said.

"Hopefully the future is bright enough."

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