Callum Simpson believes winning the European championship is the key to unlocking career-defining fights.

Simpson is already hugely popular in his Barnsley hometown. On Saturday, live on Sky Sports, he headlines at Oakwell Stadium when he takes on unbeaten Italian Ivan Zucco for the European super-middleweight.

He hopes a European title win over Ivan Zucco can set up an all-British showdown with rival super-middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz. A high-profile victory over Sheeraz could in turn make Simpson a viable candidate to box Chris Eubank Jr.

“Hamzah Sheeraz, he’s at my weight now, both for my career and commercially that’s the perfect fight for me next. That’s the fight that I want,” Simpson told Sky Sports.

“I’ve got a big profile, but I’ve not got no Conor Benn profile, commercially it doesn’t make sense for Eubank Jr to fight me. However when I beat Zucco, Sheeraz, then that’s a possible fight.

“A fight I’d love, but you’ve got to be realistic.”

Those ambitions could be destroyed by the heavy punching of Ivan Zucco. The Italian, a former national champion, has never lost and has taken 18 of his 21 pro career victories inside the distance.

“This is no gimme,” Simpson said. “This is a proper fight, serious guy, he’s had more knockouts than I’ve had wins so it’s going to be a tough fight.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Johnny Nelson, the former world champion from nearby Sheffield, warned Simpson to be wary of Zucco’s “old school tricks”.

“I know Zucco’s team that he works with, I’ve boxed fighters they’ve had, I know how they operate. They don’t come over to support a loser. They’ve come over mob-handed and they expect the win and they tick every single box to make sure everything’s in their favour,” Nelson told Sky Sports.

“They’ll hit you to the back of the head, they’ll hit you low, they’ll complain to the referee just to ruffle you. And that’s what I’m expecting from Zucco. He’s going to be so heavy-handed. Callum’s got to control the pace.

“You get away with what you can and at this level the rulebook’s out the window,” Nelson continued. “This is going to be one of those fights.

“He’s going to try and break his concentration, break his heart, make him a little gun-shy. If you go in there with that war mentality then it’s not going to make a difference. Callum’s got to be smart, he’s got to be right on the ball.”

Simpson has a uniquely passionate fan base. Those supporters will spur him on in the fight, and create a cauldron-like atmosphere at the open-air stadium.

“We’ve got a gameplan and the crowd definitely gets behind me and gives me the extra one, five, 10 per cent,” Simpson said.

“Everyone knows that I set a high pace from the start and I can hold it as well all the way to the end and that’s what I’ll be planning on doing on Saturday as well.

“When I walked out in front of that many people last year [at Oakwell], I thought how can I lose in front of these? When people walk out in front of a big crowd like that, you either sink or swim but I was swimming, I was doing breaststroke, butterfly, front crawl, doggy paddle.

“I feel like I’m one who thrives under pressure, rises to the occasion. I did it last year and I’ll do the same again this year.”

He continued: “This is what fighter’s dream of. Whether I was in the home or away corner, I feel so privileged now, to be able to walk out in front of 15,000 at a football stadium, headlining on Sky Sports for a European title. That’s every fighter’s dream.”

Josh Warrington, like Simpson, drew huge crowds in Yorkshire and headlined at stadiums. His defining moment came when he beat Lee Selby to become the IBF featherweight world champion at Elland Road.

There’s nothing like fighting at a football stadium in your hometown, Warrington explained.

“We’re like gladiators when we get in there. This is like a coliseum. You’re going through so many emotions,” he told Sky Sports.

“You’ve sacrificed yourself not just for the last 12 weeks but for years and years and years to make these fights happen. You’ve got a man in front of you who wants it just as bad as you.

“Walking to the ring, I’d look at people’s eyes,” he continued. “You see they’re with you, they’re willing to go through, not physically but emotionally, as much as you are to see you win. You feed off that energy.

“What comes after as well, going to the ropes and seeing the fans and the joy… I can’t imagine any high coming close to that.”

He believes that Simpson has the kind of support that can drive him on to a tremendous future.

“He’s still grounded and people can relate to that,” Warrington said of Simpson. “He could become a massive superstar.”

Simpson will be inspired by that wild mass of supporters on Saturday night.

“There’s no fighter that is doing tickets like me, there’s no fighter that’s got support like me,” he said. “On ticket collection days I have hundreds of people queuing for photos, for signing photos, meeting each person that’s bought a ticket from me, looking them in the eyes and saying thank you for backing me, for supporting me. I’ve got people coming from Ireland, Scotland, down now in London, families coming over from Australia for five days, from Dubai, Tenerife, just to come and support me. There’s no one that’s got support like me.”

He knows he has to make the most of it. “It’s amazing just seeing the people in the town getting behind me,” Simpson added.

“People are always waiting for the good times and then in 10 years they look back and [realise] they were in the good times. But I feel like I’ve been living the good times for many years and that’s why I try to enjoy everything, enjoy every moment and enjoy the experience and the journey.

“Not only am I a ticket-seller but I deliver on fight night and I’ll continue to deliver this Saturday. We won the British and Commonwealth last year. We’re going to be winning the European this year. Why not the world title next year?”

What Callum Simpson fight Ivan Zucco for the European title this Saturday live on Sky Sports.