91Èȱ¬

Stretch, a former British light-middleweight champion who was challenging for Eubank's WBO middleweight crown that night, had one more bout before moving to the States to pursue a career as an actor.

British boxing's glamour boy in the 1990s - he has in the past been linked with , and a couple of - Stretch has tasted real success in the movies, with his starring role in Shane Meadows' seriously dark, multi-award winning 2004 flick the undoubted highlight.

As far as most people were concerned, Stretch, who also appears in Vinnie Jones' latest vehicle , which premiered in London on Wednesday, had buried boxing for good. Then all of a sudden he's training Khan. And it seems not everyone was happy about it.

Stretch is unclear on the details, other than to say "boxing politics" prevented him from taking up the post as Khan's chief second. , who has been training Khan at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles for the past five weeks, broke the news to Stretch on the day he was due to fly.

"I'm gutted," Stretch, who finished his career with 23 wins from 25 fights, told 91Èȱ¬ Sport. "I really like the kid and he's very, very gifted - more than I thought."

Roach trained Stretch in his last few fights as a pro, and it was the St Helens native who took Roach to LA in the mid-1990s to coach the actor , who was in the process of doing a Reverse Stretch - namely swapping his Hollywood career for a stint between the ropes.

"Freddie's been trying to get me involved with his camp for a long time," says Stretch. "But I'd not really had a lot of interest training people unless Freddie brought down someone really special.

"When I'm not working or I'm getting in shape for a film I go down the Wild Card Gym, but I hadn't been down in a while when he called me to go to dinner with him and Amir.

"I'd just finished a movie in London, The Heavy with Vinnie Jones and Christopher Lee, and I was looking to relax before Christmas.

"But I love the fight game. It's like the acting game - you've got to love something to do it well. And as I say, I liked the kid.

"Freddie knew he couldn't be with him on the night because he's in corner for his fight against Oscar de la Hoya the same night. So Freddie asked if I'd do it and I've spent the last month working with Amir.

"Amir loves it in LA. At the Wild Card Gym there are a lot of other young fighters who are equally as good but don't have his career.

"So he's a bit of a target, with people wanting to show they're better than him. He's got to be on his toes, and he raises his game every day. In this gym he's just a regular guy and if you're going to grow as a fighter you've got to keep your feet on the ground and keep learning from better fighters."

Stretch is clearly fond of Khan and has formed a strong bond in the short time they have been together. Just as important, Stretch clearly has the trust of Roach.

Stretch is therefore frustrated and upset he won't be in Khan's corner for Saturday's match against tough Oklahoma-based Dubliner .

"The thing about Amir is, he's a great learner and a great listener, but you have to stay on top of him," said Stretch.

"I've heard from a couple of people who've sparred with Fagan that he's a tough kid and if the fight goes long and Amir isn't disciplined, he could get into trouble. I'm just worried Amir can remember everything he's been working on."

Cuban trainer Jorge Rubio picked the wild and dangerous for Khan's last fight in September and was dismissed shortly after. Hot on the heels of that defeat, Khan could do with some clarity in his corner.