Price spars with Academy star

Academy goalkeeper Danny Ward donned gloves of a different kind when British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion David Price invited him for a spar as he prepares to fight Audley Harrison this weekend.

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At the Salisbury Amateur Boxing Club, home of Scouse boxer David Price, a sense of understated success engulfs you as you walk through the door.

The smell of sweat and hard-graft hits you like a vicious right-hook to the nose as the sound of relentless fists pounding punch-bags fills your ears and the array of trophies, belts and certificates stacked tall along every wall come into view.

They serve as a constant reminder of the astonishing prolificacy of this bastion of Merseyside boxing on the outskirts of Liverpool city centre. Names like Price, David Burke, Tom Stalker, Tony Dodson, Paul Edwards and Derry Mathews.

Today, cutting an enthusiastic figure in the centre of their gym, 19-year-old Academy goalkeeper Danny Ward has been invited to step into their ring.

Hands wedged firmly in the pockets of his LFC Warrior tracksuit, he rocks nervously from one foot to the other before ambling over to a signed Joe Calzaghe glove. Grinning from ear to ear, the man from Wrexham announces: "See - the Welsh boxers - they're always the best fighters."

Turning away, he surveys the scene before him and asks: "How tall is this Pricey fella anyway? I said to Clive Cook at the Academy this morning, 'At least I'll be taller than him.'"

Price is 6'8". He weighs roughly 107kg, is unbeaten in the 13 fights since turning pro in January 2009 and when he eventually enters 'The Solly' and all eyes turn to the heavyweight, it feels as though he is 12-feet tall.

Later on, when his training session with Ward is over and Price is in professional mode, stalking his coach Franny Smith and unleashing hammer-blow after hammer-blow onto his trainer's padded hands, accompanying each with a spine-shuddering roar, he is more of a force of nature.

But first he is taking time out from preparing for his clash with Harrison at the Echo Arena to put the young Reds stopper through his paces and impart some tricks of the trade.

Perched on the side of one of the two full-size rings in the room, Ward sits patiently as his hand wraps and tape are applied with all the focus and precision of a club doctor bandaging a fracture.

Price saunters over to question him. What position does he play? Where is he from? How is he adjusting to life in Liverpool?

Gracious, amiable and sincerely inquisitive, Price could tear a strip off anyone in the room in the same way he has demolished so many helpless opponents down the years.

And as the Scouse heavyweight slowly begins to swing into action in the background, thrusting loose, lazy jabs into fresh air, Ward reveals: "I watched the film Snatch last night, so I've psyched myself up for this one."

The pair jog the length of the gym for a few minutes and then skip for a few more. Then it's into the ring, where Price walks the Academy starlet through a sparring session and a spell of shadow-boxing.

"I tell you what, he was heavy-handed and he seemed to grasp the basics pretty much straight away," Price told Liverpoolfc.com shortly after. "He's obviously a naturally fit and healthy young lad, so he'd probably be able to put in a good shift in the gym.

"My advice for him would be: hit and don't get hit. Simple as."

The Solly amateur boxing club was formed in the heart of Liverpool's inner-city in 1974 and over the decades it has had three homes, all of which were situated on Salisbury Street from where it derives its name.

It was the creation of Tony Lynch, who passed away in 1996, Tony Wright, who is now life vice president, Johnny Reagan and Alan Lynch the club's current coach and club matchmaker.

And on Saturday night, its latest shining light will step into the ring against Harrison in front of a packed Echo Arena and there will be one clear fan-favourite - even Jamie Carragher has offered his support to Price this week.

"From someone like Carra it means a lot because he's a local lad who has lived the dream playing for Liverpool," Price told Liverpoolfc.com. "He has kept level-headed and has been down to earth all the way through his career.

"He's probably the same as he was before he started playing for Liverpool, which speaks volumes. He has always worn his heart on his sleeve and still does. That means an awful lot to have his backing."

Ask the likes of Alvaro Arbeloa, Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise - to name but a few - and they will probably tell you how their ear drums are still ringing from Carra's 'encouragement' on the field, so would Price like to have the Bootle boy egging him on from his corner?

"Different fighters respond to different things," he answered. "I'm happy with my coach Fran, who is quite quiet and calm about things. I respond to that. But if Jamie is going the fight on Saturday, I'll definitely hear his high-pitched tones from ringside!"

And so as Price turned his focus to Harrison and Saturday night by stepping into the ring with Smith for one of a number of final training sessions before the big fight, Ward reflected on the evening's events.

"It's not your typical Tuesday night, I'll tell you that," he said. "But I've really enjoyed it, you can see just how much hard work David's putting into training for this fight and I wish him all the best.

"It takes a lot of dedication to come in and train twice a day and you can see that he wants it more than anything.

"He showed me the jab and straight-hook but I don't think I will be using that on the football pitch. Am I confident he will get the win on Saturday? Have you seen the size of him?"