Perry is king of the ring

PERRY KING

A TEENAGER has swapped shin guards for a head guard.

Perry King, from Chadderton, gave up football after breaking his right leg three times in nine months.

And instead of scoring goals, the 14-year-old is now scoring points in the amateur boxing ring.

Perry, who trains at Darnhill and Heywood ABC, reached the North-West Schoolboys ABA final at 44-46kg, where he lost to Eric Sutton, from Irlam ABC.

He was hoping to improve on his 2009 performance when he reached the National Schoolboys ABA semi-finals at 40-42kg.

Perry was a promising footballer — he played on the left side of midfield — and attended Athletic’s school of excellence from the age of six.

However, his career on the pitch was curtailed after a rotten run of luck — he broke his leg after being knocked over by a bike and did it again in an accident at school.

If that wasn’t bad enough, he went on to break his leg for a third time.

Perry, who has won 10 and lost four of his 14 contests, isn’t impeded in the ring and is working hard to improve his boxing skills.

Stewart Hampton, his trainer at Darnhill and Heywood ABC, said: “He is very dedicated, determined and confident.

“He is more of boxer than a fighter and hopefully he’ll continue to progress.

“His long-term aim, like any amateur boxer in this country, is to represent England.”