James Willstrop knows 2008 is an important year (photo: Getty)

Manchester's James Willstrop is keen to make 2008 a year to remember.

He defends his national title and targets the world championships - both taking place in the north west.

The British number two won the Mamut English Open in December and was runner up at the Bear Stearns Tournament of Champions in New York last week.

"This is a massive year for me and I have a lot of special memories of Manchester, having won the nationals there," Willstrop told BBC Manchester.

"It would be a dream come true to win the worlds on home soil in front of a home crowd," he added.

Since its appearance in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester has hosted a number of high profile squash tournaments including the National Championships and the British Open.

Between February 10-17, the city stages the 2008 National Championships before the globe's top 96 competitors arrive for the Hi-Tec World Championships in October.