JOE Murray is set to follow in the footsteps of brother John by departing amateur boxing for the professional ranks.

The 21-year-old Levenshulme Olympian made the decision after being knocked out of the European Championships in Liverpool.

He was beaten 16-3 by Irish champion David Oliver Joyce, a verdict that rankled Murray so much he immediately announced his decision to quit the amateur set-up.

He said: "The judges registered one punch landing from me in the whole fight, and yet Joyce was on the canvas in the first round and ended up with a cut on his nose.

"I can hold my head high, because I feel I boxed well. The monkey is off my back after Beijing, and I feel I can leave the amateurs proud of what I achieved."

The plan is to make his debut before Christmas, possibly on the undercard of brother John’s fight at Manchester Central on December 13.

Murray is expected to fight in the super-bantamweight division, training under his long-time coach Joe Gallagher.

Gallagher is already in talks with three promoters, one of them US-based, over Murray’s future.

The aim is to emulate the success of the Hatton brothers, something which the younger Murray admits would be a dream.

He said: "I am leaving the professional deals to Joe, who I have been with since I was 13 and who I trust completely, but it would be great to make my debut on John’s undercard.

"That has always been a big thing for me. We fought on the same bill in John’s last amateur fight, and both won.

"I can see it now – one day John fighting for a world title, and me fighting for the British on the undercard."

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