COUNTY Durham boxer Bradley Saunders has been forced to call time on his career.

The former Team GB fighter has had to bow out with an abundance of amateur honours and a professional title sitting proudly in his trophy cabinet because of a succession of injury battles.

Saunders, 32, from Sedgefield, endured a long period where he was plagued by hand and eye problems. He underwent corrective surgery on multiple occasions. Most recently he had an operation in Spain and claims there have been complications, and to be considering legal action.

“I’ve had five eye operations now and I’m going back into hospital for the final one,” the Beijing 2008 Olympian said. “People think I’m retiring because of my hands, but it was my eyes, they are only just settling down now and looking normal again.

“Doctors said I shouldn’t even be allowed to drive a car, let alone get in the ring and fight for a living.

“It happened just before I won the WBO Inter-Continental title back in June 2014. I was sparring Steve O’Meara and one of the muscles in my eyes just collapsed because I was dehydrated and exhausted. I was seeing double all the way through that fight, but luckily I got rid of him early.”

Saunders blasted away EU super-lightweight champion Ville Piispanen (18-5-3) in just 81 seconds that night at the Metro Arena in Newcastle to collect the vacant belt, in what would be his last fight signed to Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren.

The heavy-handed Saunders raced to 12 fights unbeaten with nine knockouts in the first three years of his career, during 2012-2015, despite being hampered by recurring injuries.

Saunders originally debuted at the York Hall in London in February 2012 after a stellar amateur career and was last seen in the ring in June 2017 making short work of Northern Irishman Casey Blair, stopping him in the first round in Newcastle.

Initially inspired by his dad, Jeff, an amateur boxer with his own gym, Bradley started boxing aged eight at Sedgefield ABC, having his first fight at ten. As an amateur, Saunders achieved incredible heights and was a member of the Team GB squad for over ten years.

Saunders won the senior ABA title in 2006 (adding to four schoolboys and a Junior national title), a World bronze medal in 2007 and a Commonwealth silver in 2010. He was part of the Beijing 2008 Olympic squad with heavyweight hero David Price, two-weight world champion Amir Khan and WBO middleweight king Billy Joe Saunders.

Facing a future without boxing, Saunders has since set up a business to provide for his wife Stephanie and 11-year-old son Leyton.

“My two companies – SLS Road Maintenance and SSK Recruitment – keep me well above water, I’m making more money than I ever did in boxing,” he said. “I feel a lot better providing for myself and my family and I’ve got a lot of people working for me now, so I’m responsible for them as well.”

He added: “I have been having a hard time coming to terms with knowing that I will have to retire, going out all the time and drinking a lot, but I am a lot better within myself now.

“I’d like to thank everyone I’ve been involved with during my entire boxing career from coaches to promoters to the fans, it’s been such a big part of my life."