Tate met with Birmingham 2022 officials less than a week after being part of the Closing Ceremony of Gold Coast 2018 where the Commonwealth Games flag was officially passed to the English city. 

"You’re way in front," he told the Birmingham Mail after meeting with officials.

"When I came here I thought you’d have a lot to do. 

"You’ve already done one lap of a four lap race to congratulations to Birmingham.”

Birmingham was only officially awarded the event last December following the decision by the Commonwealth Games Federation to remove it from original hosts Durban after the South African city failed to meet a series of financial deadlines.

Hosting the Games is a key part of a strategy by Birmingham to raise the profile of the city both in the United Kingdom and globally. 

It is a policy backed by Tate, who claimed his city is already feeling the positive effects of Gold Coast 2018. 

"It was a city changing moment for us in so many different ways," he said.

"We set out broaden our economy and we set out to have a lot of infrastructure to be there."

Among officials that Tate met was Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward, who led the city's successful bid.

"I’m grateful Tom has taken the time and trouble to come to Birmingham so soon after the Commonwealth Games so we can learn from the Gold Coast," he told the Birmingham Mail.