Gloves are on as Shrewsbury Town's Connor Goldson hits the gym

The Town defender is training at Richie Carter's Golden Gloves amateur club in his home-town of Wolverhampton and has shown aptitude for the sport.

The 20-year-old has dazzled the pugilists with his own level of fitness but is under strict orders not to get into the ring, so it's bag and pad work only.

But Goldson is confident his extra work will help land a killer blow on his opponents in League One, when he gets the nod to start from Town boss Graham Turner.

Goldson said: "It's just a bit of extra training away from football to keep me fit and try to get a bit of power into my upper half.

"Richie Carter is best friends with my dad, Winston, so it has been good so far. He just asked me to come along to do some fitness work with the kids.

"They all love football, so it's good for him and good for me. It's not sparring, just on the bags and a little bit of pad work, just the cardio side of it.

"I am not training as hard or as long as boxers do. I have only done a 45-minute session and a few rounds on the pads and the bags. It was good. It just keeps my fitness topped up."!

Goldson is giving something back to Carter by devising a diet plan for both to follow. The former junior ABA national amateur champion, 43, has noticed the difference.

He said: "We are doing a bit of a fitness regime. Connor follows a diet plan called Herbal Life. I am doing that with him and I have dropped half-a-stone already.

"I am helping him out with the boxing, although he's not getting in the ring as he's never had a fight in his life.

"I think it will be a bonus for him and he doesn't put a foot wrong. He's the fittest kid I have ever come across, he just keeps going and going and going.

"He loves it and we love having him here. He has time for all the kids. He's so respectful, he hasn't got an ounce of arrogance in him."