A boxing prodigy from St Albans has won a national competition and set his sights on future glory.

Valentino Taylor,12, a pupil at Samuel Ryder Academy, was victorious in the Barum Box Cup, a competition for young fighters across the UK.

Taking place this past weekend in Devon, Valentino defeated a series of opponents to claim the crown.

He said: "It was very busy at the competition, starting with the weigh-in.

"The first fight was easy and then it got harder so I had to go all-out!"

Valentino has been boxing for five years, taking up the sport after giving up football.

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He has his sights set high, saying he wants to be world champion in the future.

These words echo those of Christian Fetti, the professional boxer from the city who had his own big win at London's York Hall last weekend.

Valentino is certainly in the right place, training at ABC Finchley - the club that made former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

He said that upon returning to school this week he's been swamped with congratulations from his peers - something he says makes him feel "very proud".

He now has his eye on the National Youth Championships, which will see him compete against thousands of boys his age from across the country.