Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua trained with kids ahead of his latest defence – on one of the lighter notes ahead of his latest fight.

The heavyweight champion of the world is known as a man who stays close to his roots locally from where he is from in the UK.

He grew up in Watford but these days he spends a lot of time training in Sheffield with his head trainer Rob McCracken – at the gym where Team GB also train a lot of their young amateur fighters coming through.

Joshua takes a hand where he can in helping them out, as he does in his old amateur gym.

He mentioned ahead of his fight this weekend against Carlos Takam at an open workout to the public per Give Me Sport that:

“The privilege is I’m around hungry athletes as well when I train with the Team GB Boxing athletes in Sheffield. That’s grassroots level. It gives them the opportunity to see the benefits of becoming a champion. I’m a reflection of hard work.”

He added:

“I still go to my old amateur club and train with kids who are like 10 years old.”

No doubt this forms just a minor part of his overall training regime but fair play – a heavyweight champion of the world who certainly has not let fame go to his head!

He will know that serious business is just around the corner this weekend however, knowing that Carlos Takam will be looking to get to him early on.

Here’s what happened when the two went head to head ahead of Saturday night (hat tip IFL TV YouTube):