London Olympic bronze medallist Anthony Ogogo has not given up on his lifelong goal of becoming a middleweight world champion - despite not having fought in two years.

Ogogo suffered a fractured eye socket in his bout with Craig Cunningham in October 2016 in what was his 12th fight as a professional.

And despite having undergone five operations - three of which have seen him travel to America for surgery - in the intervening period, the 29-year-old remains positive that he can still climb the heights in the ring.

"If I can achieve my dream and get back in the boxing ring and become world champion, that in itself gives so much inspiration to so many people around the country and world,” said Ogogo, who recently appeared on Channel 4 reality television show Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls.

“It's been a testing couple of years.

“I've been very down. I've had to remortgage my house to pay for different surgeries in America. It's been really, really tough.

"I've trained my absolute backside off to become world champion. I'm not going to let a doctor tell me what I can and can't do."

After claiming middleweight bronze at London 2012, Ogogo turned pro and looked to be acquitting himself well as he won his first 11 fights, seven of them by knockout.

But he faced up against Birmingham’s Cunningham in his first title shot at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, and was pulled by his corner in the eighth round, suffering from blurred vision as he challenged for the WBC International middleweight strap.

And it is only now, with the benefit of hindsight, that Ogogo can appreciate the gravity of that fight, and the resulting injury.

"Ultimately, I could've died that night in the boxing ring," he continued.

"My eyes were literally pointing in different directions. I was being hit with punches I didn't know were coming.”