Andy Murray: I sat next to Dunblane killer Thomas Hamilton when my mother gave him a lift

The tennis player has spoken out for the first time about the 1996 shooting, in which 16 of his schoolmates and a teacher died.

Murray, Britain's highest ranked player, was eight when Hamilton burst into the gym at Dunblane Primary School and opened fire.

Andy Murray revealed he could have been one of Thomas Hamilton's 17 victims

He and his older brother Jamie, who was ten, were on their way to the gym. They hid under a desk in the headmaster's study.

In the past Murray, 21, has simply said of the tragedy that he was devastated but 'too young to understand'.

But in his autobiography, published today, he reveals that he attended boys' clubs run by the gunman, and that Hamilton, who committed suicide after the shootings, had travelled in his mother Judy's car.

And he admits he has struggled to cope with the thought that he could easily have been one of Hamilton's victims.

In the book, Hitting Back, he says: 'Some of my friends' brothers and sisters were killed. I have only retained patch impressions of that day, such as being in a classroom singing songs.

'The weirdest thing was that we knew the guy (Hamilton). He had been in my mum's car. It's obviously weird to think you had a murderer in your car, sitting next to your mum.

'That is probably another reason why I don't want to look back at it. It is just so uncomfortable to think that it was someone we knew from the Boys Club.

'We used to go to the club and have fun. Then to find out he's a murderer was something my brain couldn't cope with.'

He adds: 'I could have been one of those children.'

Teacher Gwen Mayor pictured with her class of 5 and 6 year old pupils from Dunblane Primary School. Sixteen pupils from the class were killed by Thomas Hamilton

In the book, Murray also reveals his thoughts on British tennis players.

He says: 'There is something wrong with the mentality and work ethic of most of the British players. There doesn't seem to be anyone who's brutally honest about it either.

'I think the best way is to confront it, especially when it has been bad for so long.'

Murray, who has been known to lose his temper on court, says he does not consider himself to be stroppy, adding: 'I can't count the number of times I've been called a bad-tempered brat, but that is not how it felt growing up.'

He also addresses his aversion to bananas – a fruit favoured by many tennis stars.

'Players sit there and eat them at changeovers but it can't be to give them energy because they take ages to digest,' he says.

'To be honest, I think bananas are a pathetic fruit.'

Murray is ranked 12 in the world and has earned more than £1million in prize money since turning professional.

He is one of the favourites for the Wimbledon championships, which start later this month.

Hitting Back, £18.99, by Andy Murray, is published by Random House today.