MARTIN Murray says he has a “spring in his step” again as he gears up for a fifth world-title shot.

The 35-year-old from Fingerpost considers his career to be riding on the Battle of Britain with WBO middleweight title holder Billy Joe Saunders on April 14 and he will be leaving “no stone unturned” to finally realise his ambition of becoming world champion.

Taking the fight, which is expected to take place at the 02 Arena in London, means a change of promoter, with Murray switching stables to Frank Warren from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, but this whole world-title shot has a different feel about it for a boxer who has suffered from controversial decisions in past attempts.

“I’ve always known that I should have been world champion,” said Murray, who secured a fourth-round knockout against German Arman Torosyan on his last outing at the Echo Arena in Liverpool last September.

“But ‘should have been’ is not good enough. It’s always been my aim to be world champion.

“It’s always been a massive boost of inspiration for me, for my legacy of being the only world champion that St Helens has ever produced – the first world champion.

“This opportunity has come now for me to do that.

“The fact that I’ve been so close before it has eaten away at me but I’ll be leaving no stone unturned for this one.

“It’s always played on me that knowing I’ve come so close and arguably I could have been a double-weight world champion but through politics of boxing and dodgy decisions I’ve not.

“This will be the first one I’ve had in England.

“My other four have been in Germany, Monte Carlo and Argentina, so this is the first chance I’ve had of fighting for the world title at home against an English lad.

“It’s a great opportunity for me and it won’t be a case of dodgy decisions this time. The person who wins the fight will get the right decision. So, I’m going to get a fair crack of the whip.”

His preparations had kicked in before the fight, which will be Welwyn Garden City fighter Saunders’ fourth defence, was announced on Friday.

“I started training early in the new year, before the fight was announced and I got back in the gym.

“It had been a little bit hard of late, motivation wise, going to the gym. I only had two fights last year. It was two wins, but I only had two, and it’s not really how I wanted it but it worked out that way.

“So I’d spoken to my wife and said to mysel if it didn’t happen this year then I’d consider hanging the gloves up.

“This fight has come at a perfect time with motivation having been low, it’s a big fight at the start of the new year and it’s a fight that can just completely turn my career around.

“A win here just changes everything, it’s like I have a new career again. I’m going into it looking that it’s my last fight but with the potential of it changing my career.

“A man with nothing to lose is a dangerous man and that’s what I’ll be on April 14 when we fight.”

Murray believes everything that has happened in his life and career has got him to the place he is at now.

“Nobody can moan and say I’ve not had my chances,” he said.

“I have had my chances, it’s my fifth world-title fight, but had I not been so unlucky and done so well in the previous four I would not have had this next opportunity.

“This chance has come for me again. It’s a career-changing fight. I don’t want to keep banging the same old drum, and I’ve said it before and it’s become like a bit of a running joke now that ‘If I don’t win this I’ll retire” but opportunities keep popping up for me after those other fights.

“I can honestly say if it doesn’t go right this time I really feel that it will be it for me.

“My career’s riding on this.

“I don’t want to retire, but I was feeling like I could retire had this fight not been made and I was in the same situation.

“The fact that I’ve got this chance now to completely turn things on its head and turn it around, it’s exciting times for me with the dream of being world champion.

“I’ve got the spring back in my step going to training and I’m really looking forward to the training camp and the challenge ahead of me.”