James DeGale, a day in the life: Sparring with mum and hoping to win over the public... 'I’ll never be loved by everyone, people will always call me a prat'

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It's shortly after 9.30am and James DeGale has just surfaced, rolling his neck and holding his back.

‘I’m an old man,’ he says. ‘I have to stretch for 15 minutes before I can even get out of bed. Not a boy any more.’

He’s laughing, but then he passes a mirror and suddenly he’s not. He’ll be 31 next month and he’s seeing things he doesn’t like.

James DeGale lies in bed as Sportsmail pays a visit to spend the day with the British boxer ahead of his next big fight

DeGale, nearly 31, admits: 'I have to stretch for 15 minutes before I can even get out of bed. Not a boy any more.’

DeGale, having just surfaced from his bed at 9.30am, is amusingly greeted by his mother Diane as his sister Eloise irons

The boxer stands in his kitchen as his mum speaks with him during Sportsmail's visit ahead of his fight in America

DeGale's mother makes the fighter porridge in his home near St Albans as the 30-year-old gestures during breakfast time

‘My hair, f****** hell,’ he says. ‘I’m going bald. I mean it this time. Mum, I need you to make an appointment.’

His mum, Diane, is stirring his breakfast porridge in the kitchen of his upmarket house near St Albans.

She’s usually there for her boy’s interviews, part of an amusing double act that tends to steal the show. But she’s also there when the cameras are not, keeping her son in line and doing everything from breakfast to dinner to fielding calls from Floyd Mayweather’s PA.

‘Mum,’ DeGale says again. ‘I mean it, I need an appointment with the hair people. I need a transplant or something.’

‘I heard you the first time,’ she replies. ‘Then do it.’

‘Don’t you take that tone with me, James. Don’t you go getting aggy. We’ve got guests.’

DeGale sits with Riath Al-Samarrai during an exclusive interview ahead of his fight with Badou Jack on January 14

DeGale eats his porridge in the lounge of his home - the winner of his next fight will be the best fighter in the 168lb division

DeGale checks his mobile phone in his dressing room after earlier insisting: 'I need an appointment with the hair people'

DeGale, pictured brushing his teeth ahead of a busy day, had joked: ‘‘My hair, f****** hell. I’m going bald. I mean it this time'

Sportsmail has been invited to spend the day with DeGale before his flight to America, where he hopes to add another point of distinction to a career that is both quite stunning and strangely undervalued.

He fights Badou Jack on January 14 in Brooklyn, New York; a fourth straight bout on the other side of the Atlantic and a match-up that pits his IBF world super-middleweight title against Jack’s WBC belt.

The winner will be recognised as the best fighter in the 168lb division. If it’s DeGale, his case for greater recognition in Britain will surely gain some serious credibility.

‘There aren’t many Brits taking on the fights I’m taking on,’ he says. ‘But people remember the mouthy, arrogant guy with the Olympic medal when I got started.

‘Maybe they hold that against me. It’s not like I don’t have supporters — I have brilliant supporters and more people are starting to recognise what I do.

‘I remember going to the O2 to watch Anthony Joshua after I won the world title and there was this huge cheer. I looked up at the big screen expecting to see some actor and it was me they were cheering — I was speechless.

‘It felt so good. But I will never be Anthony Joshua or Ricky Hatton who are loved by everyone — some people will always call me a prat. I made peace with that. Whatever, man. I don’t care.’

Except he does.

The British fighter told Sportsmail: ‘There aren’t many Brits taking on the fights I’m taking on. But people remember the mouthy, arrogant guy with the Olympic medal when I got started'

DeGale and his mother are close - Diane is often there for his son's interviews and keeps him in line and helps out

‘Put my record up against anyone — Olympic champion as an amateur,’ he goes on. ‘British, European and world champion as a pro.

‘I went to the US to win my title against Andre Dirrell, I went to Canada to beat Lucian Bute, a former world champion in my first defence, and then I went back to the US to fight my mandatory.

‘Easy way? Not me. Now I’m going to the US for a unification fight. If I win it, I will stand that record against absolutely anyone and say, “Go on then, beat that”.’

DeGale is building up a head of steam on this track and it’s not yet 10.30am. ‘It took the public how long to appreciate Joe Calzaghe?’ he says.

‘This fight now against Badou Jack, that could be to me what Jeff Lacy was to Calzaghe. Win it over there, take that belt, and people might see me the same way.’

DeGale pauses and shrugs his shoulders. Evidently this discussion is an age thing — he is reaching the stage when boxers tend to mull over their legacies.

‘I might only have 10 fights left, three years or so,’ he says. ‘I might only have five fights if the money is right, wrapping it all up in a stadium by beating up George Groves (his childhood rival who inflicted his only defeat in 2011).

‘Bottom line, I want to do this right, to get people to say, “DeGale, he was a proper fighter”. I could have gone the easier route and fought in England against whoever. But I made the decision to chase the dream in the US; go the hard way. That is why I am working harder than ever before. I’ve smashed myself in this camp.’

DeGale looks focused as he makes his way to Stonebridge Boxing Club for a sparring session in the gym at 12.30

The fighter is in high spirits going into his next bout and said: 'This fight now against Badou Jack, that could be to me what Jeff Lacy was to Calzaghe. Win it over there, take that belt, and people might see me the same way’

The routine has been gruelling. Sportsmail visits on a day of a single session, but usually there are two. Typically, DeGale is up at 9am, eats a bowl of porridge mixed with three types of berries and honey, before heading to the house of his trainer, the delightfully old-school Jim McDonnell.

‘Lovely man but we have to look after Jim as much as he looks after James,’ says Diane. ‘Jim’s family is on holiday at the minute and we have to call at night to check he’s eating.

‘Hopeless but lovely. Him and James are a funny old couple. The only person James won’t answer back to.’

McDonnell and DeGale’s camps usually include a daily trip to the running track at Woodford in Essex, though this day has been set aside for hard sparring.

‘The track is brutal,’ says DeGale. ‘We’ll do a 200metres session, a 400m session, a 1600m session. You’ll have Jim there with this little look on his face trying to break me.’

The 30-year-old was tested with a fight against Nigerian light-heavyweight, Umar Sadiq, for seven rounds of four minutes

McDonnell watches on and studies DeGale's performance - the pair's camps usually include a daily trip to the running track

On this occasion, DeGale and McDonnell are in the gym at Stonebridge Boxing Club for 12.30pm.

‘Time for a fight,’ DeGale says. He gets in with a Nigerian light-heavyweight, Umar Sadiq, for seven rounds of four minutes.

‘I want to see how he does with someone awkward and powerful,’ McDonnell says. After four rounds, Sadiq has done well but then DeGale starts to land. One big right nearly takes off Sadiq’s guard.

Then, between rounds, Sadiq jumps out and Obi Egbunike, a middleweight, gets in. The plan is for three rounds of speed against a fresher, quicker fighter.

‘Hit me,’ DeGale calls. Egbunike steps in only to miss and DeGale spins him against the ropes before landing a big left to the body. Egbunike stays on his feet to the final bell, only for DeGale to declare ‘one more’. The younger fighter just about makes it through and they touch gloves. 

The hope had been to spar former world champion Nathan Cleverly, but it fell through. ‘Not ideal,’ DeGale says. ‘You want to tune yourself against elite fighters. But I’ve had a good camp.’

At that point, he realises the protein powder in his bag has exploded over his gear.

‘F*** sake,’ he says to himself. ‘What’s the matter with you, man.’

McDonnell attaches a brace loaded with weights to the fighter’s head and the workout continues, two hard hours in all.

DeGale had hoped to spar against former world champion Nathan Cleverly but the plans fell through

'Him and James are a funny old couple,' DeGale's mother said of McDonnell and her son. 'The only person James won’t answer back to,' she added

DeGale looks in the mirror at the boxing club after taking on two fighters as he prepares for his big fight in New York

DeGale sits with trainer McDonnell - ‘Lovely man but we have to look after Jim as much as he looks after James,’ says Diane

Then it’s back home and lunch, which on this day is chicken meticulously weighed to 300 grams and 250g of brown rice, with broccoli, baby corn, asparagus and mushrooms. ‘On a double training day he wants about 2,800 calories,’ says Diane. ‘On a single, like today, he wants 2,000. No treats, no snacks. He’s still cutting weight.

‘He’ll get one of these Vitafruit pots and that’s about as nice as he’ll be to himself. In camp, if we are all having a takeout, the best he’ll do is grilled chicken cubes.’

DeGale says: ‘Out of camp I used to maybe go to 13st 8lb (the super-middleweight limit is 12st), but these days I’m a bit more careful.’

Diane cuts in: ‘Still, you should see him binge when he’s not in training. He’ll stuff his face on junk and he’s got the fat gene in him.’

‘Whatever, mum,’ says the son.

‘He always gets grumpy the final few weeks before a fight — shows he’s ready,’ says the mother. ‘He always apologises after the fight. Bless him.’

DeGale eats after his intense session - during Sportsmail's vist the fighter eats chicken, meticulously weighed to 300 grams, and 250g of brown rice, with broccoli, baby corn, asparagus and mushrooms

DeGale looks on as sister Eloise puts down a drink - mother Diane joked the fighter 'has the fat gene' and added: 'you should see him binge when he’s not in training. He’ll stuff his face on junk'

DeGale sits with his niece Ruby following training - should he win in New York, it will be impossible to deny him recognition

The day is getting on and DeGale is just about done. His running, which usually involves a 10-mile dash on the hills of Hampstead Heath each Sunday, is largely finished for the camp. His sparring is nearly up as well.

Soon it will just be the final tweaks and then fight week and the day-dreams he has been having about Badou Jack will be replaced by vivid visualisations of how this hard fight might go. A win and it will be nigh on impossible to deny him recognition. But before then he wants to get on the couch.

‘I’m watching Masterchef tonight,’ he says. ‘Love it.’

There’s a pause and a smile. ‘Told you I’m getting old.’