In an insightful interview this Christmas with world soccer star Thierry Henry asking the questions – he managed to get some very interesting responses out of the heavyweight champion.

Anthony Joshua can enjoy this festive period knowing 2017 has been a job done on a mission to what he hopes will see him unify the heavyweight division over the coming years.

A task fraught with competition, namely by the likes of Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, but nonetheless – Joshua is in a good spot at the moment.

He’s had a chance to reflect a little bit today on Sky Sports in a television interview.

When Thierry Henry said today to him that the hardest thing I had to do in my life was to please his father, Joshua replied that his hardest feat accomplished to date was the opposite:

“Well, mine’s my mum. But it only came as I got older because my mum and dad broke up. They were not together. Most kids go and live with their mum anyway for some reason.”

He continued:

“It’s interesting because I think I know that discipline like you said to a put a smile on you father’s face, the mothers love is conditional. The father’s love is – you mess up you’re going to get it, you do well – you know the two. With mum – whether you mess up (or not) she’s going to defend you. Even if you did it in front of her she’s still say you didn’t do it. That’s what the mothers love had (for me) so I feel like I could get away with certain things. When I started changing my mindset and started boxing and seeing what it was like for her to be proud of what I would be doing in front of her, I think that was a really good time for me and my family.”

Joshua at the moment is in negotiations for a fight with WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker with reports earlier this week that the deal is nearly concluded.