Whatever happens throughout the rest of Matt Stonier’s fledgling career, this year is likely to always remain the most memorable of all.

Stonier, who turns 21 in September, is preparing for the summer of a lifetime.

The Invicta East Kent AC 1,500m runner has come from relative obscurity to be named in Team England’s athletics squad this week ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

“Since I have been at uni, I have kind of kicked on again,” admitted the Loughborough University student who moved to the area from Sturry, near Canterbury.

“I think that’s quite common. The level I have managed to kick on to is, maybe, somewhat of a surprise - but I knew it was there!

“It’s been very cool but it’s been nice to progress over the winter. Then everything has started going well since and I am going to Games like this. Hopefully it continues.

“Whatever happens, this will probably be my most memorable season.”

He has been named in England’s squad alongside Dartford’s Adam Gemili, fellow sprinter Dina Asher-Smith of Blackheath & Bromley, Sevenoaks-born race walker Tom Bosworth and Tonbridge AC's Harry Kendall.

He added: “I don’t like putting too much [pressure] on myself, it will probably come from outside noises. I still feel like there’s not too much pressure on me.

“But if pressure is put on me, it’s because people expect certain things from me which is good because, about four or five weeks ago, those things would not have been expected from me.

“There is pressure but you kind of have to accept that, there’s less pressure on me than is put on some.”

It’s been a rapid rise for the former King’s School student.

"There is pressure but you kind of have to accept that..."

“I have had no serious injuries for a while now," said Stonier.

“I’m just training in a comfortable set-up with good people around me and getting used to that. Also, I have had a proper winter of running.

“I think that’s been a massive help, obviously Covid didn’t allow that to happen.

“Those two things are probably the main reasons [I have managed to] break into that next level.”

Shortly before the Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium, the 2022 World Athletics Championships will be held in the United States but, before all that, Stonier will come up against Olympic opposition at the UK Championships in Manchester this week, with the event running from today until Sunday.

He admitted: “I have been selected for the Commonwealths before the British [UK] Championships, so there’s not so much pressure.

“But you want to prove to everyone you have been selected for a reason. There’s three Olympic finalists from last year so it’s a domestic race but a world-class standard.

“Apart from maybe Kenya, there’s nobody else who can do that I would have thought. It makes it harder but better quality.

“The goal is to make the final and maybe slip into the top-six or so.”

Stonier ran a personal-best time of 3min35.92sec to finish third at the Irena Szewinska Memorial in Poland earlier this month.

"You want to prove to everyone you have been selected for a reason..."

He is enjoying racing outside the UK, saying: “Being able to race overseas is quite a big bonus.

“To get to the next level, you need to be able to do that, and conditions can be a lot better than a cloudy and dark Saturday night in Manchester.

“That makes a big difference - even a one or two-second difference. I think that’s why I thought I would go quicker there.

“I don’t think this weekend will be that quick but we will see what the weather does.

“But I know where I’m at.

"When everything comes together, hopefully, I can record quick times.”

Stonier remains in contact with Invicta East Kent coach Peter Mullervy but now has coaches at Loughborough who have more hands-on roles.

“Since I have moved to Loughborough, I have been coached by Chris and Sonia McGeorge,” he stated.

“Chris and Sonia do all the planning but Peter is more of a mentor, it’s good to still have him involved.

“I’m coached by Chris and Sonia now and we have got a good three-way set-up.”

Stonier studies geography and sports science at university although, perhaps surprisingly, it’s the former he prefers.

The runner, who finished his year-ending exams last week, explained: “I always thought I would be the classic sporty person, doing sports science. But I always enjoyed geography at school.

“It’s just something different, really. As much as I do enjoy it [the sporty side], maybe having something different on the table is a good option.”

While things could hardly be going any better for Stonier, things could easily have gone in a different direction for him.

He said: “Obviously, I had some long-term training partners [at Invicta East Kent]. We all went through Year 9 and Year 10 - around 14 and 15-years-old - together.

“Having other people there made me want to go more. There’s a lot of drop-outs around the GCSE years. Having friends that still went was a big thing that kept me going.

“At King’s, they really supported me, allowing me to go running when I needed to and allowing me to use their facilities.

“There’s some people that have helped me over the years - I’ve got some good news for them!”