Junior Witter accepts he will never be the main man in his gym – even if he keeps his glittering boxing career alive.

Witter is tuning up for the first defence of the British welterweight belt against unbeaten Frankie Gavin at York Hall on November 1.

Bradford’s former WBC world champion, the oldest holder of the domestic title at 38, still has ambitions to conquer Europe at two weights.

But that won’t guarantee superstar billing at the Ingle base in Sheffield where he has honed his trade over the past decade and a half.

As far as trainer Dominic Ingle is concerned, all his prize fighters are worthy of attention. Seniority counts for nothing Ingle said: “Junior’s had to do it himself to come back. We’re in the gym to train him but he’s no longer the main player.

“He has to come in and knuckle down like everybody else. He’s not had the star treatment.”

With the likes of Kell Brook leading the next generation, it is understandable that Ingle spreads his time around. But Witter insists it has always been the Wincobank way not to single out a numero uno.

He said: “Even when it was all about me, I never played on it. That’s what has made it easier to cope with now.

“The spotlight has always been pushed around. You’ve always got kids coming through and others going for big fights.

“When I was younger, you had Ryan (Rhodes), Naz (Prince Naseem Hamed) and Johnny (Nelson). Naz dominated for a while but Johnny always passed it around and that’s what I do.

“There’s no one main person, whether it’s Richard (Towers), Barry (Kid Galahad), Kell or me.

“Dom might spend one day with me then the next time he won’t give me two minutes. He’ll be all with Barry or Kell.

“I’m happy with that. You have to be training and in every day to stay in the limelight.

“It makes me work harder. Dom’s attitude is that if you’re not coming in, he won’t bother with you.

“There are kids who are 16 years younger than me trying to beat me now. I’m old enough to be their dad but it’s absolutely brilliant to keep me fit.

“They keep trying to find ways to bring me down a peg or two. So I’ve got to be sharp to stay one step ahead of them.”