IT wasn’t all that long ago that Duncan Scott had a secret aspiration to become a tennis superstar like Andy Murray. Now, a poster boy for swimming with six Commonwealth medals in the back pocket, all this 20-year-old wants to do is ride this current wave of publicity long enough to have the same game-changing impact on his sport as Murray has managed to achieve.

In the same way the tennis superstar has opened fans, media and sponsors’ eyes to the fact his sport is an all-year round pastime rather than one played only during a fortnight in the summer at SW19, so Scott hopes swimming can become a sport for all seasons. Currently it only seems to reach into homes every two years or so.

“To be compared with Andy Murray at anything is massively flattering,” said Scott. “He’s a household name within Britain and most of the world, an absolute star – and he comes from not far away from Alloa as well!

“But swimming has struggled with that cycle of interest. It has an influx of TV viewers for the Olympics, then it goes away, before it comes back for the Commonwealth Games.

“British Swimming has helped. Since 2012 we’ve had a good increase in medal counts and Adam Peaty especially is putting our sport on the map in Britain. He’s been nominated for Sports Personality of the Year for the past there years, and he’s ranking higher and higher each time. “That can only be a positive for the sport, and for myself, because it’s getting people watching it on TV. So if I can be a part of that, great. Until then I’ll carry on riding the wave and see where it goes.”

Thankfully, this isn’t a reference to Scott leaving Scotland any time soon. Murray left for Barcelona as a teenager and then ultimately for Oxshott, Surrey, but while Scott might have had a chance to go to the US collegiate circuit at one point, he believes everything he requires to compete at the sharp end can be quite happily supplied at the University of Stirling.

“Don’t fix something that’s not broken,” said Scott. “I’m absolutely fine where I am with Steve [Tigg, his coach]. I’ve never had any issues in a long relationship with him.

“And the group seems to be going really well,” he added. “I don’t know anyone from Stirling who didn’t swim well in the Commonwealth Games.

“Aimee Willmott [of England], Commonwealth champion, Ross Murdoch silver, Scott McLay, Craig McLean, Kathleen Dawson, they all produced PBs [personal bests] and good swims. That goes down to Steve Tigg and the team – Ade Campbell, Neil Shanks – they’re phenomenal.”

While the six medal-winning performances in Australia seemed to go by in a blur – there was that epic gold in the 100m freestyle, a silver in the 200m individual medley, plus two individual bronzes and two in the relays – Scott has little time to take stock and reflect on the enormity of what he has achieved. Having outstripped Gregor Tait’s four medals from 2006 and shooter Jonathan Hammond in 2010 to have won the most medals at a single games in history, he was selected last week for the European Championships in August, an event in front of his home crowd at Tollcross where he is sure to be the star attraction.

From there it is on to Gwangju, South Korea in the summer of 2019 for the World Championships. Then the build-up for Tokyo gets under way.

After husbanding his resources so efficiently over a week or so, there was a sense of relief when he was able to switch off from it all.

“The second a competition finishes, there are a lot of things that go through your head,” Scott said. “The stress relief for a start, the emotions, you go from one extreme to the other. You’re so demanding on yourself to achieve at the highest level, then literally two hours later, there are no demands on you at all. I’m just sitting there and I’ve been told I’ve done well, I can relax and do what I want. There’s a sense you have to relax, but it’s more emotional than physical because of how much of a bubble you’re in.”

There is a new fad in Scottish sport for successful individuals to parade their medals or trophies around their favoured football club’s ground, but chairman Mike Mulraney at Alloa Athletic has yet to extend an invitation to Scott.

“I just heard they lost to Stranraer last week so that’s not good, but it would be a nice thing to do,” said Scott. “We’ll see what big Mike Mulraney [the chairman] says!

“I’ve not heard from anyone for a week because I turned my social media off for the entire competition and when I eventually turned it back on, I just replied to a few messages from friends and family. But there were enough to keep me busy for the foreseeable future!

“It would be nice to have a play-off win to celebrate as well, but it’s tough because we’re in that position where we’re great in League One, but then the Championship we’re way out of our depth.”

Scott may find it awkward showing his medals off to all four corners of Recreation Park. Wags would say he might be better phoning each one of the supporters individually, but this young man would not care. He is walking on water just now.