Blackpool boxer Brian Rose ponders if it's time to throw in the towel and retire

The 35-year-old is still keen to have one last big fight but, should it not transpire, the middleweight admits he may have to call it a day.

Prior to lockdown, Rose was waiting for the call on what to do next and was even considering having one final bout in Blackpool.

“I was just waiting for another opportunity,” he told Boxing Social.

“If that opportunity was big enough money-wise and it was realistic – I’m older now, so I have to believe I’m going to win that fight – then I would have taken it.

“The day I pull out of a fight is the day I retire because I’ve never pulled out of a fight in my life. But it is getting to that point, I’ll be honest.

“It is getting to the point where I might look at someone and think ‘they’re younger than me, they’re hungrier than me, I don’t fancy it’.

“But I was waiting for an offer and if I didn’t fancy it then I was going to retire or go out on a win in Blackpool, something like that.

“It’s up to me what I do and that’s a good position to be in knowing I’ve got control over my career. I’m not fighting for money anymore, I’m fighting because I want to do it.”

Rose, who has won 31 of his 38 professional fights, has used the lockdown period to appreciate the things that really matter.

“I initially struggled a little bit with the kids being at home. I’ve got three kids so it’s been hard work and a bit demanding at times,” he added.

“But it’s been good to spend some quality time with my family because I’ve not been able to do much other than stay in and do other things, take them to the Lakes, to the park, things like that – things you sometimes don’t appreciate.

“I previously lived in Manchester from Monday to Friday for years because of the boxing, so being at home with the family now is probably the longest I’ve been at home for a long time.

“Even when I’m not training for a fight, I have my own gym in Blackpool so I always make myself busy, but obviously I’ve not been able to do that during lockdown.

“When we’re back to normal I’ll definitely appreciate that time at home with my family more and spend more quality time with them.”

Rose last fought in August 2018 when he lost on points to Anthony Fowler – the sixth defeat of his distinguished career.

‘The Lion’ has previously hoped to secure a fight with Preston rival Scott Fitzgerald, but it never materialised.