FORMER England amateur youth captain Tariq Quaddas says his move to Swindon has refocused his boxing career.

The 23-year-old is on the card for Keith Mayo’s latest night at the Oasis on Friday, March 14.

“It’s my first professional fight in six years, that was when I was 18 so it’s been a long time,” Quaddas said.

“I’ve been working away from home in Swindon, I bumped into Keith (Mayo) and Richard (Farnon), and now I’ve got a proper routine going.

“Hi train in the morning, then work and training in the evening as well. I want to get back in and do it properly.”

As a promising amateur in Peterborough, Quaddas fought twice and captained England with great success in the four nations tournament and was a junior ABA champion. When his former trainer Gary De Roux stopped training fighters Quaddas fell out of the sport.

“I tried to get back into the sport but when you’re younger I suppose your head’s here and there. Now I realise what I want to do. Boxing’s not a game, not something you should take likely, if you don’t train properly you can get hurt, that’s why I don’t want to get in the ring unless I’m training properly.”

Now back into boxing, Quaddas wants and expects to come back with a win.

“Going into the pro ranks when I was young, I was expected to excel very quickly and I want to get back to that intensity and level again. I don’t want to just plod along. I want to come back with a big win.

“I’ve seen Mitch Mitchell fight before in Peterborough and I’m confident I’ll do the job come March 14”

Quaddas said he wont be looking for a knockout though if the opportunity arose he would try and take it.

“I think if you go out looking for it they are just gonna tighten up their guard and it’ll become a hard night for you. I’ll box properly, play the game right and if the knockout comes it comes. I’m just looking for a polished performance.”

On his comeback Quaddas thinks he’ll bringing more than 100 people along to the Oasis.

“Now that I’m working in Swindon there’ll be a lot of people from work and their friends and family that are going to be coming to the fight just from the town. It’s kind of like a home away from home.”