Watch: Worksop's Sam Walker can't wait to get back on the big stage

Walker has played in a handful of French league and Champions League matches in between periods of restriction in recent months, but has not had the chance to compete on the world tour since last February.

That will all change when he steps out at two World Table Tennis (WTT) tournaments in Doha – the WTT Contender event begins on Sunday and is followed by the WTT Star Contender from March 8.

Walker, currently ranked No 96 in the world, will be joined in Doha by England’s Liam Pitchford (world No 15) and Paul Drinkhall (No 56).

They have been training alongside other England squad members under elite sport protocols at the University of Nottingham and Walker said: “We’ve been here since new year and it’s been really good. We’ve all been able to practise together here and the conditions are really good for us. We’re lucky we can practice still.

“The last few weeks have been focused on Qatar but before that it was focused on improving, trying to get better every day. Now it’s about trying to focus in on getting prepared and getting my game ready as best I can for Qatar and that feels quite good at the minute.

“I kind of took it for granted a little bit, with the amount of travel and the amount of tournaments and league matches that we played.

Walker will start in the qualifying rounds for both events and aim to make it into the main draw where the world’s leading players await.