AMIR Khan may have been one of Britain's youngest ever world champions, but Marcus McDonnell remembers the day he almost ended the boxer's career before it had begun.

Tomorrow, Whittonn resident McDonnell (pictured) will referee a bout involving another up and coming hot prospect, Kell Brook, when he takes on Ricky Hatton's brother, Matthew, in Sheffield.

For McDonnell, who has been a boxing referee for 24 years, and officiated the likes of Khan, Ricky Hatton and Audley Harrison, it will be just another bout.

But on the eve of the fight, McDonnell, who lives in Godfrey Avenue, told the Chronicle of the time he infamously gave the fledgling Khan what some observers claim was a long count.

Khan had not long turned professional when he took on Willie Limmond in a Commonwealth lightweight title bout at Earls Court, in July 2007, with McDonnell the man in the middle.

He said: “I remember Amir went down in the eighth round, the first time he had ever been dropped, and you should be up by the count of eight, showing me you are ready to fight on. He went to get up and his corner told him to stay down.

“With the next word out of my mouth, he would have been out. He was okay, but his corner was still telling him to stay down, which would have lost him the fight.

“As it was, he got up and stopped his opponent in the next round, but he wouldn't be where he was today if he lost. His corner was just very inexperienced – he has got a different one now!”

McDonnell's route to the ring was a strange one. Growing up in London's East End, started out as a youngster at St Pancras ABC with brothers Micky and Jimmy.

It was younger brother Jimmy who went on to make it as a boxer, beating Barry McGuigan in the former world featherweight champion's last ever fight before becoming a successful trainer for the likes of Frank Bruno, Herbie Hyde, Danny Williams and James DeGale.

Marcus, meanwhile, tried his luck as a footballer instead, and was playing as an amateur for Dulwich Hamlet, while also working part time as a carpenter, when he broke his leg.

He said: “Jim told me to come down to Tony Laws' gym in Canning Town, where Frank Bruno and Gary Mason used to train.

“I always used to score when I watched fights, and during one bout I mentioned that if a certain boxer won the last round, he would win the fight. One of the old boys asked if I had ever considered being a boxing referee, and it took off from there.”

McDonnell, 53, who has since officiated more than 2,000 bouts, is one of only nine star grade British referees, meaning he is qualified to referee international title bout all over the world.