I trained twice a week, had matches twice a week, and spent every spare hour trying to improve.

He was pushed, cajoled, urged and goaded, every spare hour, of every day.

Every spare hour, it seemed, was devoted to it.

But he said yes immediately, consigning himself to two days without food and spare hours spent sweating the pounds off in a hot bath.

Five years ago the government funded the launch of online marketplaces in which anyone could sell their spare hours to local employers.