AMIR KHAN has backed Adam Azim to emulate him and become one of Britain’s youngest-ever world champions.
Khan first won gold aged 22 and reigned with unified belts just two years later.
Now retired, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist is helping nurture the next generation, specifically light-welterweight prospect Azim.
The 20-year-old prodigy brutally knocked out Rylan Charlton, 30, to improve to 7-0 with six knockouts.
And Khan, 35, hailed Azim as a world champion in the making – so long as he is moved accordingly.
He told Sky Sports: “You don’t want to move him too quick because at the end of the day you can just get beat by someone with more experience.
“Sometimes you need more than power and speed, you need to have that experience under you belt.
“So I think you still have to keep it moving steadily, step by step and I’m sure he will be one of the youngest world champion if he’s managed the right way.”
Azim is being crafted into one of the sport’s most exciting talents by esteemed trainer Shane McGuigan.
McGuigan, the son of Irish legend Barry, has coached the likes of Carl Frampton, David Haye and George Groves.
But he named former amateur sensation Azim as the most promising of the lot.
McGuigan said: “He’s the most talented fighter I’ve ever trained.
“He needs more tests, he needs more rounds. We thought we were going to get that today with Rylan Charlton and we didn’t.
“So he’s just got to get catapulted up through the rankings.”
