Coach Dave Binns insists Glenn Foot must be at his best to stand any chance of beating Josh Leather

Marley Pots boxer Glenn Foot, right, with coach Dave Binns, far left.

So says coach Dave Binns who is cranking up the training on the Sunderland fighter ahead of his challenge for Josh Leather’s light-welterweight belt in Newcastle.

Foot has his work cut out - Leather is the title holder, the man in form and in the home corner on Frank Warren’s big show at the Metro Radio Arena, on November 11

Binns has pulled no punches, if you pardon the pun, ahead of the derby, saying the 29-year-old faces embarrassing himself if he does not turn up in top nick.

“If Glenn is only half-prepared there will only be one winner,” said the Peterlee-based trainer.

“But if the real Glenn Foot turns up then it’s a different story.

“Josh Leather is a cracking kid and he’s a good boxer, I like him a lot, and he has a very good coach in Imran Naeem.

“Glenn has to be at his very best and at the moment he seems up for it.”

Foot took a step forward at the weekend when he registered his 21st career win, by outpointing Nathan Hardy in Hartlepool.

It looked like the old Foot in the ring and there were no signs of the fighter who struggled in his English light-welterweight title bouts against Philip Bowes and Akeem Brown.

Of course, Foot’s sheer will-to-win brought him through against Bowes at the York Hall but he could master Brown at the Stadium of Light.

But, against Hardy, there was much more from the Marley Pots favourite.

“He was absolutely excellent,” said Binns.

“Saturday night at the Borough Hall was part of our training programme to fight Josh.

“I wanted him to perform well and he did everything we asked.

“He controlled it and hurt Nathan a couple of times and that was a good sign.”

What Foot does in the East Durham College gym ahead of the BT Sport-screened event – plus his roadwork around his home city – will be key to his contest with the unbeaten Guisborough 25-year-old.

“We have six weeks,” said Binns. “The real Glenn Foot will take some beating and that’s what we need.

“He seems to have the bit between his teeth.”

The show also features Tommy Ward’s maiden defence of his British super-bantamweight title against ‘Showtime’ Sean Davis.