Sam Billings hopes to play for England for many years and knows success with Kent is the best way to make his dreams become reality.

The 23-year-old wicket-keeper batsman has had a busy close season, joining team-mate Adam Riley on an England Performance Programme training camp in Sri Lanka before two trips to South Africa with the England Lions and the MCC season curtain-raiser in Abu Dhabi.

He also found himself drafted into England’s 30-man one-day World Cup squad before being left out of the final 16 but has not given up hope of making his mark at the highest level in the future.

He said; “When you’re kids in the playground, what’s your goal? – to play international sport, it doesn’t change. I want to play for England, hopefully for a long time and to be consistent at that level.

“There’s no point being a part of something if you don’t want to the best you can be. Ultimately, you want to be No.1, not only as a team but also as an individual.”

Billings has learnt a lot during his off-season travels, adding: “Being around the second team of English cricket was a huge experience.

“Playing, training and batting alongside Jonathan Trott and Gary Ballance with the Lions and Alastair Cook in Abu Dhabi, you learn a hell of a lot.

“Ultimately, you have to have the attitude, drive and work ethic to get to the top. It’s the guys with the steely core who get to the top.

“The key is to stick to what works for you, behind the scenes and work your butt off. Put the work in and generally you get the reward. It sounds simple but you’ve got to score a lot of runs, take wickets and make sure you’re noticed.”

He added: “It’s getting a solid package to your whole game. Ultimately, for England Lions players, there is a perceived added pressure so you’re expected to score runs, you’re meant to be one of the better cricketers in the country.

“I need to score runs, take catches and stumpings for Kent. If I do that, everything else takes care of itself.”