Ross McCormack will step back into the limelight next month when he swaps football boots for boxing gloves and hopes his career in the fight game starts better than his time in the beautiful game ended.

The former Leeds United and Aston Villa striker has signed up to be part of ‘A Night to Remember II’ an event run by Pro Project Promotions and set up by former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack.

McCormack will fight ex-Leeds and Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon in a charity bout which will take place at the prestigious Titanic Hotel in Liverpool on Friday, April 17.

He will do so with just a few weeks’ training under his belt and he insists he will be more worried about his walk-on music than might what happen when he faces the 6ft 2ins former centre back – and also hitting not just each other but the £120,000 fund-raising target in aid of Children’s Charity Merseyside and Autism Merseyside.

The McCormack vs Kilgallon scrap is one five, three-round bouts that also include Lee Trundle taking on Chris Iwelumo. As...