GREAT SCOTS! Taylor and Mcgregor are ready to take on the world

IT was Josh Taylor’s night, no doubt, but he did not rock Edinburgh on his own last week.

Lee Mcgregor, who hails from Saughton, went down a storm on his debut, reinforcing what I already knew, that Scotland has another star on its hands.

Taylor (below) has created a huge buzz north of the border, and this kid is desperate to follow in his footsteps.

Mcgregor (above), who has a brother called Conor, believe it or not, had only 45 amateur fights. Taylor almost 200.

He was in the highperformance team for almost two years, and fought in the European seniors, losing a split decision to the Ukrainian world champion. He lost at the World Championships by a hair’s breadth to an American who went on to claim silver.

He wanted to go to the Commonwealths and win gold for Scotland, but I persuaded him to spend a few days in the gym with us, so he could see how we work and what he might achieve with a trainer like Shane.

I pointed out the risks involved in placing his immediate future in the hands of amateur judges, when, in the same two-year time frame, we could transform him into a dynamic professional.

I saw in Mcgregor a kid who could prosper as a pro, but might not be rewarded as an amateur. He loves to fight. He’s tall and whippy, 5ft 9ins, which is some height for a bantamweight. He will eventually fill out, but not before he has won titles in the division. My job is to scan the horizon for talent. His left hook to the body reminds me of my own.

Mcgregor is so hungry he wants to fight for the British title already. And if Josh Wale is reading this, he can take that as a challenge.

Mcgregor’s debut last week was so impressive. Shane remarked on how calm he was making his bow on a huge televised bill.

He never missed with his left hook, dropped his opponent three times and stopped him.

He is a fantastic addition to the stable and, alongside Chris Billam Smith, Chantelle Cameron and Martin Bakoli, has a massive future ahead of him.