Video: Sheffield’s Dalton Smith brings his outstanding amateur boxing career into the professional ranks

The Sheffield light welterweight has been signed by Matchroom and his first paid scrap will be at Nottingham Arena against Luka Leskovic, from Croatia.

Smith's awe-inspiring performances for Great Britain were enough for Eddie Hearn to offer him a deal and he now wants to develop his undoubted pedigree.

Smith, who is coached by his dad Grant at Steel City gym in Darnall, knows the professional side of the sport will be a "totally different ball-game" but believes he is ready for the challenge.

"I am starting from the bottom again," he said. "In the amateurs, I reached the top and won national titles and medals for GB around the world so it’s a new chapter; it's like starting from the bottom again but I am confident that I will be propelled to the top in the next couple of years."

Smith won national titles from schoolboy to senior, silver medal in youth European championships, a bronze in the Youth Commonwealth Games and "plenty of gold medals for GB in international tournaments as a senior. The one I didn't get to go to was the Olympics, but that's behind me now and I hope I can achieve a lot more in the professionals."

As for his televised debut, he said: "It has been a long process of leaving the GB team, signing over with the Matchroom in the professional ranks..but 10th of May is (nearly) here now and I am looking forward to my professional debut.

"I had 93 amateur fights - obviously I still get nervous before every fight I have but if any fighter said they weren't getting nervous they'd be lying to you.

"Everybody gets nerves but there is a lot of excitement there as well as nerves and I can't wait to get in and perform.

"I want to stand out. With Sky Sports and Matchroom I am on a high platform so I need to perform but I know there is a lot of media around me but I don't put pressure on myself.

"I will just go in there and do what I do best and hopefully it all pays off.

"My opponent has had quite a few fights..but I have boxed every style there is in the amateurs so there'll be nothing new to me and I don't think he will bring anything that will faze me."