Olympic hero John Joe Nevin wants to become the biggest star in the Irish boxing firmament and insists that he cannot wait to fulfil his dream of fighting as a professional in his homeland when he takes on Jack Heath at the 3Arena in Dublin on Saturday.

The London 2012 silver medallist left the amateur ranks behind after winning European gold last summer.

“It has always been a dream to box in front of my home fans as a professional,” said Nevin.

“I really cannot wait for Saturday night.

“There are some big-name boxers in Ireland but they are pushing towards the end of their careers now and I want to be the one to take over Irish boxing.

“As a pro, it is more like you are boxing for yourself, but I am still representing Ireland as a professional. I feel the pressure of the Irish support and I want to perform for them.

“It is amazing to fight in front of the Irish fans. Looking back on the Olympics, it gives me goosebumps to think what the crowd was like. It is an amazing feeling, the Irish are great fans, and I think Saturday night is going to be a great show.”

The Mullingar fighter’s bout is part of a fantastic line-up of action in Dublin, topped by Matthew Macklin’s world title eliminator against WBC International middleweight champion Jorge Sebastian Heiland.