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FREDDIE ROACH has put his retirement on the back burner so he can help Amir Khan unify the light-welterweight division.
Roach, 50, was planning to pack it whenever pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao decides to hang up his gloves.
But he is ready to carry on despite the Parkinson's disease problems that have blighted his time as the world's best trainer.
The American will be in Khan's corner in Las Vegas on Saturday night when the Bolton star defends his WBA crown against Marcos Maidana at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
And Khan revealed: "Manny has won all his world titles with Freddie and Freddie had said he would quit when Pac-Man retired.
"But he's told me wants to carry on because he enjoys working with me so much.
"For him to say that to me shows he must have a lot of confidence in me. It gave me a big lift and Freddie has told me that he believes in me like he believes in Manny.
"I'm sure he could call it a day whenever he wanted and he has achieved so much in his career and produced so many champions.
"But that's not how Freddie thinks. He doesn't look back, he's always looking towards the next fight."
Khan turned to Roach in a bid to resurrect his career after he suffered a shock knockout loss to Breidis Prescott in 2008.
Under Roach's guidance, the Bolton native began to put things right with a win over Oisin ***an.
Victory over fight legend Marco Antonio Barrera followed before the Bolton native found himself defeating Andriy Kotelnik for the world crown.
Khan, 23, added: "Sometimes you can't tell that Freddie has Parkinson's. He will be so good on the pads, catching every shot and you think there's nothing wrong with him.
"He copes with it really well, but then he is such a strong character. He doesn't let it affect him and he has tremendous willpower. He doesn't give up and he sticks at it."
Roach, 50, was planning to pack it whenever pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao decides to hang up his gloves.
But he is ready to carry on despite the Parkinson's disease problems that have blighted his time as the world's best trainer.
The American will be in Khan's corner in Las Vegas on Saturday night when the Bolton star defends his WBA crown against Marcos Maidana at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
And Khan revealed: "Manny has won all his world titles with Freddie and Freddie had said he would quit when Pac-Man retired.
"But he's told me wants to carry on because he enjoys working with me so much.
"For him to say that to me shows he must have a lot of confidence in me. It gave me a big lift and Freddie has told me that he believes in me like he believes in Manny.
"I'm sure he could call it a day whenever he wanted and he has achieved so much in his career and produced so many champions.
"But that's not how Freddie thinks. He doesn't look back, he's always looking towards the next fight."
Khan turned to Roach in a bid to resurrect his career after he suffered a shock knockout loss to Breidis Prescott in 2008.
Under Roach's guidance, the Bolton native began to put things right with a win over Oisin ***an.
Victory over fight legend Marco Antonio Barrera followed before the Bolton native found himself defeating Andriy Kotelnik for the world crown.
Khan, 23, added: "Sometimes you can't tell that Freddie has Parkinson's. He will be so good on the pads, catching every shot and you think there's nothing wrong with him.
"He copes with it really well, but then he is such a strong character. He doesn't let it affect him and he has tremendous willpower. He doesn't give up and he sticks at it."
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