He never pulled punches in the ring – now there is no holding him back in his quest to give youngsters a good start in life.

One of boxing's biggest stars, Barry McGuigan, the former world featherweight champion, has come to Leicestershire to open his boxing academy in partnership with a further education college.

For teenagers who have dropped out of school and are unemployed, to those who want to pursue boxing at a high level, the academy at South Leicestershire College aims to train them in the ring, fill them with motivation and confidence and give them a education.

McGuigan, who officially launched the project at Leicester's Walkers Stadium yesterday, said young people needed someone to believe in them and to channel their talents.

He said: "There are many young people who are out of the system, maybe they've been kicked out of school or they haven't got a job and it doesn't take long before they get sucked into a world of crime.

"We want to get them before they end up in jail.

"We get them in the gym where we teach them discipline and give them respect for themselves."

Students attend the Wigston-based college to receive a full-time education – in courses as diverse as bricklaying and accountancy – while getting nine hours of non-contact boxing training each week.

They train at a new city centre gym, White Bear, in Mansfield Street, which has a ring, an area for training, pads and punch bags while instruction is provided by the long-established Belgrave Amateur Boxing Club.

At the heart of the project's success is the rule that if they do not turn up to lessons, they are not allowed to train.

The scheme, for young men and women aged between 16 and 19, is not just for disaffected youths, but also teenagers who want boxing training as well as to pass a qualification.

Omar Kalik, 18, of Glen Parva, is combining his hours in the ring with accountancy lessons and is fighting in an Amateur Boxing Association final this weekend.

He said: "It's great to be able to get a few hours training in first thing and then get changed and start studying.

"I did think accountancy might be a bit boring, but actually I quite enjoy it.

"I quit school when I was 16 and I think, if it wasn't for this, I probably wouldn't be at college.

"I aspire to be a professional boxer and I think I'm on the right track.

"They couldn't have got anyone better than Barry McGuigan to endorse it – he's even bought us our equipment, so that can't be bad."

Other projects linked to the academy include a 10-week course aimed at getting disaffected youngsters back on the straight and narrow, a two-year course for people who have the ability to box at the highest level and a programme for overseas students.

The college's deputy principal Matt Pinches said: "We're able to reach students who otherwise might not be in education at all and perhaps unemployed.

"They can come to us, get educated and get a qualification and at the same time pursue their passion."