YORK boxing prospect Will Harrison says it’s an “honour” to be able to turn professional under the MTK Global banner.

The Bishopthorpe fighter penned an advisory deal with the management giants last month and will be part of their MTK Leeds set-up, as led by Sean O’Hagan - the trainer of unbeaten IBF featherweight world champion Josh Warrington.

MTK Global guide the careers of some of the most prominent fighters in British boxing, including world champions Tyson Fury, Billy Joe Saunders and Josh Taylor.

And Harrison says it’s a privilege to begin life in the paid ranks as part of the team.

“It’s really good to be able to box on such a good platform like MTK as well - it’s an honour,” he said.

“I think that the plan is to be fighting on the MTK Leeds shows at the Leeds Arena and making my debut there all being well. Hopefully we’ll have fans there by then.

“I know lots of people in York, Harrogate and Leeds as well and it’s an ideal place for everybody to get to, so hopefully I can get a good crowd there.”

Harrison, 23, started boxing at a relatively late age - first entering a boxing gym aged 16 and only having his first amateur bout a few months before his 19th birthday.

His rise has been rapid since then, with his professional debut set to come this summer.

“At school, I went off the path and was messing about quite a lot and I needed something at that stage to get me back together,” he said of his journey into the sport.

“I got into boxing aged 16 and did it on and off for a few years and then I seriously got into it aged 18 and I’ve been getting it ever sine and haven’t looked back from there.

“I’ve always been with Gary Kelly at Jorvik Boxing Club.

“I had a really good time in the amateurs and I went all over the country, fighting in Jersey and I learnt the fundamentals of the sport from Gary.

“Form there, I’ve been able to create my own personal style. I would describe myself as a boxer but I’ve got a little bit of that Mexican style in me, when it comes to it, I do like to fight and I will stand up in there.

“I’m always working on my boxing but I’ve got that element to me.

“I won the Yorkshire title on one of Henry’s (Wharton) shows - I stopped my opponent in the third round of that fight.

“I represented the Yorkshire squad in Jersey and won when I went over there with them. That was a high point definitely.”

Harrison had been looking to turn pro for a while before a chance offer came from O’Hagan.

“I went to Sean O’Hagan’s gym where Josh Warrington trains at and I did a few rounds sparring with (WBC International lightweight champion) Maxi Hughes, who just won the MTK Fighter of the Year.

“It went really well and Sean came to me and Glenn (Banks, Harrison’s manager) and said that he’d like to offer me a contract on behalf of MTK and that I should turn over.

“Me and Glenn spoke about it and, especially given that there’s no amateur boxing happening at the moment, I took his advice and I thought that it was definitely the right time.

“For the past couple of years, turning pro has been in my mind, it’s just been about when and how I do it. This seems to have been perfect timing.”