Benjamin Whittaker upgraded with Team GB

To fight at next year's Commonwealth Games and the 2020 Olympics now becomes more of a realistic goal,

The 19-year-old is on course to become the No 1 ranked unpaid middleweight in the country later this year with Anthony Fowler, now 25, set to turn pro after an opening round defeat at Rio 2016.

He was told of his promotion on his first day back after the new year earlier this week, ahead of their next training trip to Spain.

Whittaker's ascension is gathering pace just a year after stepping up to the seniors and joining the GB set-up, where he was initially assigned to the podium potential ranks.

His first GB camps, mostly at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, saw him work with podium potential head coach Bob Dillon, of Dudley and the founder of Lions Boxing Club.

His tournament debut for GB, December's Golden Gong competition in Macedonia, saw him claim the gold medal through two unanimous points victories.

He previously took silver at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games and three national titles at club level, including England Elite Championships glory in 2016.

He became the West Midlands' first national middleweight champion in the competition since 1884. Previous titlists include George Groves, James DeGale, Carl Froch and Joe Calzaghe.

Whittaker has now switched club allegiances to Firewalker in Wolverhampton, although he has yet to box a bout for them. His godfather, Joby Clayton, is a coach at the gym.

He was previously under Steve O'Rourke and ex-pro Varuzh Varuzh at Wodensborough, where he won National Ambition and England Youth crowns.

He was also paraded on the pitch for Wolves' Boxing Day game against visiting Bristol City, as his dad Tony Wilson is a tunnel security officer at Molineux.