Amir Khan opens up on struggle to deal with fame and fortune after axing money-grabbing entourage

AMIR KHAN has taken hold of his own career and created another shot at greatness.

The 32-year-old Bolton ace struggled with being a teenage millionaire.

But he is now a ring veteran and settled with wife Faryal Makhdoom and his two daughters.

Khan is in San Francisco preparing to fight Terence Crawford on Saturday for the WBO world welterweight title.

He has had to rebuild his career from the bottom up after things spiralled out of control.

His silver at the 2004 Olympics made Khan an overnight celebrity and he employed dozens of hangers-on.

He revealed how financial mismanagement forced him to cut ties with a number of close friends and family members.

The former world light-welterweight champion now keeps a closer eye on his fortune.

I look back and wonder why I did certain things, but you can only learn over time.

Amir Khan on his life struggles

For his shot at pound-for-pound great Crawford, Khan is lugging around his own equipment and ruing past mistakes.

He said: “Sometimes, when you have a big team, you start relying on people but when you go in the ring you are on your own.

“A big entourage can take pressure off and make you feel like you have everything but I do things myself now and dictate my own career. It helps you understand things.

“I used to leave everything to my family and advisors — how much money I made, my taxes, everything.

“But now I get involved in everything. Carrying my bag is a symbol. Being humble is hopefully what some people love me for.

“I have seen a change in my attitude. Maybe five or six years ago I was a cocky young kid who had everything very young.

INSTA-FAMOUS

“Now I look back and wonder why I did certain things, but you can only learn over time.”

His Instagram fame came at a cost and a 2017 row between his largely family-based team seemed to leave him vulnerable.

After amassing a fortune close to £40million, the Pakistani-Brit axed his backroom squad and went it alone.

He said: “I had a lot when I was young, money, a big boxing deal and everything I wanted like cars, but at such a young age it can get to you.

“I was a millionaire before I turned pro at 19. I can’t say it was a bad thing as it was nice at the time.

“It took pressure off because if something had gone wrong then there is a million quid in the bank.”

Khan’s so-called support network threw him to the lion of Canelo Alvarez in 2016 and the middleweight destroyed him.

Trainer Virgil Hunter said: “It broke my heart to see him lying there and it didn’t have to happen.

“He tells me now he didn’t want the fight but he didn’t want people to think he was scared.”

*Amir Khan challenges undefeated Terence Crawford for the WBO world welterweight belt, live on , on Saturday, April 20.