'I played for Portsmouth, Plymouth and Leeds. Now I train title-winning boxers and world champion bare-knuckle fighters'

And David Norris is revelling in the career change which now provides him with a living.

Although still turning out for Lancaster City at the age of 42, the former Leeds, Plymouth and Ipswich midfielder is nowadays a personal trainer.

A part-owner in Bolton-based gym CrossFit UF, Norris also ventures to Leeds twice a week to work with the 12 boxers on his books.

They include Jack Bateson, Lyndon Arthur, Jack Murphy, Koby McNamara, Ishmael Davis and bare-knuckle boxer Anthony Holmes.

Norris’ 26-year football background has also attracted a number of professional footballers seeking his help in maintaining fitness.

When in the Premier League, Burnley’s Ashley Barnes was a client, while those currently working with the personal trainer are Max Power (Wigan), Alex Mowatt (Middlesbrough), Ricardo Santos (Bolton), Joe Bradshaw (Liverpool), Matt Smith (Salford) and Charlie Wellens (Manchester United).

Norris told The News: ‘At the start I worked mainly with footballers, but boxing has taken off and they now come to me through word of mouth.

‘It’s such a competitive sport, with everyone working hard, so now it’s getting down to the percentages and I help on their strength and power, rather than fitness.

‘I do little bits of fitness with them, especially if they need it, but because they are normally training so hard with their long runs, short runs, sprints and their sparring, most of them are overreaching and doing a little too much.

‘Boxers overtrain, that's what you have to be careful of, so I try to fill in the gaps. They need more stability in their legs, more rotational-type power to help throwing punches.

‘What they do isn’t specific enough, they are a bit old school, so when you start working with them you tend to get good results quite quickly and more of a bite. They feel a bit stronger, a bit fitter, are more stable in their legs, and are a bit more powerful.’

Arthur is a Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion, while Bateson a former Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist and won bronze in the European Championships, both at light-flyweight.

The promising Murphy is being trained by Ricky Hatton, and Holmes is world bare-knuckle champion at middle-weight.

Norris added: ‘Some of the boxers have fights coming up on Sky and BT sport in March-April.

‘While bare-knuckle boxer Anthony Holmes is soon going to America. I thought that sport happened in some sort of bar with straw bales around them while punching the lights out of each other, but it’s growing and shows are actually put on at the O2 Arena.

‘Mainly I work with up-and-coming boxers, such as Jack Murphy, and, in the next 2-3 years, we’ll find out if they have something and how far they can really go.’

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