FOR a boxer who once won a British title without telling his school, Jack Steff will find it hard to keep his talents a secret.

The 18-year-old from Rawtenstall may be something of a reluctant hero but coach Brian Roche is more than happy to talk up his young prodigy.

“I would say he will definitely go to the Olympics, no-one can touch him in this country,” said Roche who fought at the highest level himself. “And I firmly believe he has a very good chance of winning a medal at London 2012.”

It is some claim considering Steff only walked in to Roche’s Burnley gym four years ago to improve his football fitness.

But fighters like Steff only coming around once every blue moon - and Roche knows it.

“I knew straight away that the boy had something,” added Roche who twice fought for British and Common-wealth titles. “Apparently he was a decent footballer and only came in with some mat-es to improve his fitness and upper body strength.

“He had lots of power and when I just worked on a few things, improving his stance and realising he was a southpaw, I knew he could be a bit special.”

And so it proved.

Since then, the former Haslin-gden High School pupil has won a national title every year - winning the Golden Gloves and three junior ABA titles - and fought in an England vest. His record of 34 wins out of his 37 fights makes him the most feared and sought after young fighters in the country, with promoters falling over themselves to sign him up.

“They’re all after him, Frank Warren, Frank Maloney, the lot,” revealed Roche, whose Roche’s Boxing Club is now based at Briercliffe Road. “It’s because they knew how good he is and how good he can be. He is the stuff of dreams for promoters but we have to make sure we make the right decision for Jack.”

For a boxer so confident in the ring, his persona out of it could not be any different.

“Jack is one of the nicest people you would ever care to meet. He is very quiet and very unassuming.

“If anything, he is a little bit shy and only speaks when he is spoken to. Of course, it is a different story in the ring.

“I remember when Jack won his first nation-al schoolboy title and I phoned up the school to tell them that his winning trophy had arrived and did they want to present it to him.

“The school didn’t even no that Jack was a boxer!”

Roche is adamant that Steff will turn pro after the Olympics but admits he will have mixed emot-ions when he finally joins the paid ranks.

“I will be delighted when Jack turns professional,” added Roche. “But of course I will be upset when I have to let him go. I think of him as one of my own and he is a great kid.”

And when he does, Roche says Steff will not have his head turned by outside distractions.

“He has won a title every year since he joined the gym but he has worked hard for them. I’ve never known anyone so dedicated, he doesn’t get distracted and he is in the gym five nights a week. But he is not full of his own importance and he loves to help out with the kids, working with them on the footwork and other things.”

Steff returns to action next month when he takes on Scottish champion Gary Quigley on a show in Carlisle before returning to international duty.

“He is good enough and dedicated enough to go all the way to the top. I think he can win the British and Commonwealth titles, titles that twice evaded me as a boxer, and go on from there.”