EX-GREENFORD schoolboy Peter Crouch will be cheering on his mate Ryan Toms when he makes his first professional debut on Father's Day.
The Northolt roofer and father of one, whose friendship with the Portsmouth striker goes back to their days at Walford School, will make his professional debut at light-middleweight on June 21 against Romford's Kevin Lilley, at York Hall, Bethnal Green.
And he says 'Crouchy' has promised him if he wins a few fights, he'll be up to see him ringside with a few of his England mates in tow.
He said: "Peter was best mates with my brother Fraser in the year above me, so we've been friends since school. He is good mates with Gareth Barry and he's told my brother they'll come down and see me fight if I do well."
Toms has come late to the game from a roundabout route. On schoolboy forms with Queens Park
Rangers at 16, he didn't have the discipline to knuckle down to a football career. Instead, he joined the army, serving in Bosnia and Northern Ireland among other places. He continued playing football but also discovered boxing.
"I first took part in what was just the company tear-up and real-ly enjoyed it. Then a geezer saw me punching a bag in the gym and said I could be quite good, so I used to box for the company after that."
Toms left the army in 2003, but ironically had to put any more thoughts of boxing on hold when he broke his knee playing football for Stockley Park.
Five screws and almost two years later, he was back in the gym, but it wasn't until he met current trainer Dave Currivan a year ago that his hopes of a career in the ring began to take off.
"Dave is like a dad to me really. He always tells me the truth. If he says I'm in for a tough fight I know where I stand but he always gives me great belief that I can win.
A brief amateur career, in which he won a gold medal in a European competition at Alexandra Palace, convinced manager and fighter it was time to turn pro.
And Toms has no fears about fighting an East London boy in his own backyard. He added: "He's tall with a long reach, so I'm going to have to get inside and rough him up
a bit. I can do whatever I need to do really. I can box off the back foot, I throw hurtful punches to the body and I don't get hit much.
"Plus, I'm southpaw, as well, which makes me awkward."
