Teenage Sheffield boxing novice catches the attention of the amateur sport

As a promising athlete, he had been one of several youngsters chosen to run the Olympic torch around Sheffield's Don Valley stadium as part of the preliminaries for the 2012 London Games.

At that time, the Gleadless schoolboy thought he'd reach the top in his chosen sport of athletics.

But the passion started to subside and David turned his hand - or hands - to boxing instead.

And now, in his first tournament at 18 years of age, he has won gold medal and turned the heads of many on the amateur scene.

It was a huge boost for his Laces Boxing Gym, in Little London Road, too.

He beat Charles Whitewood (64kg) of Dwaynamics Boxing Gym in Brixton in the MTK Box Cup competition at the Penrith Leisure Centre in Cumbria, a tournament which attracted some 600 boxers, with amateur clubs entering from Spain, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Italy and Australia.

David, who is studying a BTEC business course at City College, says he has his sights on a twin career of commerce and fighting for professional titles. And he says his development is much to do with the training he receives at Laces, under Jono Kirk.

"I fell out of love with athletics and after starting out at one Sheffield gym I moved to Laces where they saw the potential I had.

"Jon is a very intelligent coach and he helped me to now, where I’ve won my first ever tournament.

"My style is a slick counter-punching, boxer-puncher - and my aim is to become world champion and make a lot of money!"

David plans to turn professional in a “couple of years."