Amir Khan vs Phil Lo Greco: Brit wants to put I’m a Celebrity behind him as jungle pals wish him well

AMIR KHAN wants to wake up tomorrow morning with his name splashed all over the back pages to slam the door shut on his celebrity stint.

For almost two years – following his concussive loss to Mexican drug cheat Canelo Alvarez – the 31-year-old has been a familiar face on daytime TV and magazine covers.

A 2017 trip to the ‘I’m A Celebrity’ jungle earned him easy money but it let long-time rival Kell Brook label him a “media whore” and tonight’s opponent Phil Lo Greco call him “washed-up”.

The former unified light-welterweight champ admits the devil made work for his heavy, idle hands but Khan 2.0 is going to be a boxing A+ not a celeb Z-lister.

He said: “I belong on the back pages, I had a nice time on my break, but I was in the gym training but I am now back to what I do best – boxing.

“I am not a celebrity, I do not want to live that life, I always get caught doing silly things.

“Boxing is where I belong, it puts me on the right life path because without it I am lost and do silly things.

“Boxing is my life and I am 31 and want my last few years to be perfect.

‘IT’S ALL OVER’ Amir Khan insists his career is over if he loses against Canadian Phil Lo Greco in Liverpool tonight

“I missed it a lot, selling out arenas and having fans. It’s great to have so much love.

“I want to be remembered for being a fighter, not being in the jungle, not being a celebrity.”

Khan’s stint in the jungle saw him make a few celeb pals and his former campmates have sent him messages of support.

all wished the fighter well.

Vardy asked him to prove he is not a “jungle p***y”, while Lomas said they would be cheering him on from ringside.

Khan fancies a shot at revenge over Danny Garcia for his 2012 KO, as well as the world titles held by Errol Spence and  Keith Thurman.

But the summer stadium battle most British fans want to see is the domestic grudge match with 31-year-old Brook.

Both are now promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and both are looking for career-defining fights that will secure their retirement pots.

The Sheffield star will be ringside at the Echo Arena and Khan wants to send him a final warning that he is on borrowed time ahead of their potential showdown.

He said: “There is no point me saying things to him, I want him to see and feel where Amir Khan is.

“I don’t want to be one of those fighters who talks too much, I just want to show the action and make him realise I am back with a big bang.

“I respect Kell as a fighter, he won’t be scared but he might think twice about taking the fight when he sees Amir is back.”

Lo Greco got a face-full of water from Khan at their first press conference when the Canadian had a dig at Khan’s then rocky marriage.

But the 33-year-old was all smiles when they met again on Thursday and told the tale of their first meeting 14 years ago at the Amateur European Championships when he became a fan of the British Olympian.

The silver medallist nodded along politely but admitted afterwards he was faking and will still punish the early trash talk.

He said: “I was just being polite, I didn’t recognise him, if he had shone at the Europeans then I would have remembered him so he cannot have done very well.

“He was much more respectful because he knows we are close to the fight and there is no messing around, he is going to be getting his head punched in.”