DANIEL PURVIS was the centre of attention at the Emirates Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The 23-year-old might have missed out on World Cup gold in the final moments of the prestigious series' second round in Glasgow but that did not dilute the interest in the gymnast or his own enjoyment of a rare outing in Scotland. Yet as he reflected on the events of the weekend, it was not his silver medal-winning performance or even the support of the sold-out crowd that moved him the most. Instead, it was an apparently inconsequential experience the previous day that left the biggest impression.

As part of BBC Sport's coverage of the event, Purvis was taken to the city's new SSE Hydro for a first look at the venue that will host the gymnastics events at next summer's Commonwealth Games. "My God, it's incredible!" he exclaimed as he walked into the arena, his eyes widening as he surveyed the scene. The auditorium was empty save for the odd staff member but in the Scot's mind it was already full of fans cheering his every move. "I had a look around and I could imagine it," he explains, speaking a few days later. "It means I can mentally prepare myself for walking out in front of the home crowd and feeling the pride and passion that will come with that. That's the thing I'm most looking forward to."

Imagining the pride and passion is one thing, but his psychological preparations will also account for the pressure that comes from such support. As an Olympic medalist in London - and winner of a bronze in the first World Cup event - it was widely expected Purvis would add another podium place last weekend, which added further weight to the burden already upon his shoulders as a home hopeful.

That perhaps explains why he is not unduly troubled by the fact he did not win gold, despite leading for a large portion of the competition. "The pressure was on me as the local lad but being able to deliver was great for me mentally, because I'm going to have to be used to that next summer," he acknowledges. "It was important to show I could do it in front of a home crowd but, having come through the Olympics and been successful, I think I can respond to these things better now and thrive off the expectation."

For many Scottish athletes, London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 have become reference points for their entire careers; totems to which every little thing that they do is inextricably linked. Beyond next summer, that will become a problem for some as the foundations of their day-to-day life are suddenly removed before their focus is recalibrated, but Purvis and his fellow gymnasts will barely pause for breath after the Commonwealth Games before travelling to China for the World Championships.

Similar scheduling forced the Scot to miss the 2010 Games in Delhi but this time he hopes a combination of his experience and the crowded calendar will help him avoid the psychological slump that followed the Olympics last summer. "It was hard after London because, although the team did amazing - and I contributed to that - I messed up my individual parallel bar routine. That was hard to take. Even now, I don't know how I did it and for a while it was stuck in my head that it could happen again. It was still nagging away at me during the Europeans [in April] so I had a break but I came back for the Worlds in October and did well [he was fourth in the all-round final] and now things seem to be back on track."

So what's changed? "Well, aside from getting older and realising what it takes to go through the Olympic cycle, I've just focused on my dream to get back on the podium in Glasgow and then in Rio and that's what I think about when it feels tough. Some days it feels like a job and you can't be bothered but I'm lucky to be doing something I love and there is always a new routine or another challenge to prepare for. Sure, it can get a bit boring but you've just got to focus on what you're trying to achieve."

In Glasgow specifically that is a medal in the team competition. Purvis' plan is to reach as many of the apparatus finals as he can, but the focus of the five-man squad will be on earning Team Scotland a first medal in the group event. The composition of the team will become a little clearer after the Scottish Championships in early spring but it already appears that the host nation are well-equipped to offer a stiff challenge to favourites England. That dynamic adds another layer of intrigue to the event, given that Purvis was born and lives south of the border in the Merseyside town of Crosby. His mother, though, is from Dundee and he has represented Scotland since childhood while training with his English rivals in Southport. Team-mate Dan Keatings is in a similar situation, which has led to some interesting jousts over the past few months.

"There's plenty of friendly banter going on, especially now Frank Baines [2012 junior all-around European champion] has come down to train because that is going to make us stronger," Purvis says. "It's going to be a good fight because we don't want to lose to our British team-mates and that pushes us on to make sure we're a step ahead. We're all friends but there is a medal there for us and, if we all hit our routines, we can beat England to gold."