Trainer Binns plans light-welter future for Sunderland scrapper Glenn Foot

He has just seven to wait before Foot takes what he hopes is the first step towards a crack at light-welterweight honours.

The Sunderland star will have a four-round warm-up at Houghton next Saturday, ahead of a move to the 10-stone division in late spring or early summer.

Foot failed in a challenge for the British and Commonwealth welterweight titles last July when his fight with Sam Eggington was stopped because of a cut eye.

But the Marley Pots crowd-pleaser is looking good after his training camp with Binns and his team-mates at the East Durham Community College gym in Peterlee.

“We’ll look to get this out of the way then have a fight at light-welter next,” said Binns.

“[Promoter] Phil Jeffries had secured him a challenge for the English title last year against Joe Hughes, but the [British Boxing] Board knocked it back because Glenn had never boxed at light-welter.

“We’ll look for a good performance and win at 10 stone and then hopefully opportunities will come.

“We can try the English route or Tyrone Nurse has the British title. Both are well within Glenn’s compass.”

The coach said the penny dropped for the 28-year-old after the setback against Eggington and all their energies are now set at their “new targets.”

Binns added: “He’s clearly not a full welterweight – he’s a light-welter.

“I have been saying it for three years and now we are on the same page.

“He wants this bout next Saturday as preparation for bigger and better things

“His sparring has been mint and I can now see a difference and a return to the old Glenn.”

Foot is one of four Binns fighters in action at the Rainton Meadows Arena next Saturday.

Former Commonwealth Games champ Warren Baister will have his third pro bout, while Thornley’s Darren Surtees will make his second appearance in the paid ranks.

There is a debut for one of East Durham’s amateur stars as Jay Hughes, from Crimdon, boxes on the undercard of Tommy Ward’s British super-bantamweight title eliminator.

For tickets, call Phil on 07747 611020.