WHEN Sam Smith makes his debut on Sunday night, the Paddy Fitzpatrick-trained fighter knows exactly the route to the top he wants to take.

The Ferndale Road trainer has no doubt that the 22-year-old former England international can make it on to the world stage.

However, Smith, who will campaign in the light-heavyweight division, says that he wants to go the traditional route with his first target the Southern Area title.

Having already sparred the likes of world super-middleweight contender George Groves and former WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly, Smith, who is nicknamed Sniper, has been preparing for tomorrow's fight at the Grange Drive Leisure Centre since January.

“I can’t wait,” Smith said. “It has taken a while I have been here since January.

“I thought that it might have been a bit quicker but with the sparring that I have had – (George) Groves, (Nathan) Cleverly, (Christopher) Rebrasse, Duke (Luke Watkins) - to be honest I’m more than ready.

“The aim over the next 18 months is to break the top 10 (in Britain) and challenge for a Southern Area title.

“I want to do the traditional route, Southern Area, English and British – do it the proper way.”

Smith, who as an amateur won the Golden Gloves twices and the National Association of Children and Young Person title as well as reaching four national finals, says that he has learnt so much since joining forces with Fitzpatrick.

“It is a joke what I have learnt in a short period of time, I have learnt more this year than I have in four or five years an amateur,” he said.

Fitzpatrick has been pleased with how Smith has been coming along since walking through the doors of his Ferndale Road gym.

“He has shown a hell of a lot of commitment coming up from Guildford four nights a week and he is ready,” the trainer said.

“His name suits him – Sniper. He has got a beautiful jab, and it doesn’t matter how far away you are from it, he will get you.

“I can’t see no reason why this man can’t go on to win a world title, he is only 22, he has a very good amateur pedigree on him.

“He has shown what he has in the tank after sparring Nathan and George.

“I would like to see him in two years fighting for the British and then take it from there.

“He has improved so much in the time he has been with no fights, and I expect to see three times the amount of improvement in the next 10 months as I have seen in the last 10 months.”