Loan spell has made Irish League youngster fall in love with football once again - and helped get him back in the boxing ring with fight in America scheduled for next month

The 21-year-old, a former Northern Ireland youth international that spent time with Portadown before heading to Fratton Park, has scored nine times in 14 matches for Barry Johnston’s side this season, including a brace in Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over Rathfriland Rangers as they chase a Premier Intermediate League top-half finish.

Storey has spent most of the past few years in full-time football, also enjoying spells at Carrick Rangers (loan) and Derry City, but with a summer switch to the New Grosvenor Stadium entailing just two nights of practice per week and a match on Saturday, it has allowed him to get back into training under the watchful eye of grandad Gerry Sr and father Gerry Jr at the Holy Family Boxing Club in Belfast.

The sport runs in his family’s blood – Storey’s uncle Sam fought Chris Eubank for the WBO super-middleweight title in 1994 – and Gerard will now travel to New Orleans as he steps into the ring for the first time in six years.

"I've always been part of my daddy and granda's Holy Family Boxing Club, but when I moved to England I stopped it,” he said. “Since I came back I've been training and this year I said I'm going to start fighting again.

"That's why I'm the fittest I've ever been because when I'm not playing football I'm in the gym training boxing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday...I wouldn't do anything that would leave me tired for matches and my daddy has that side of things under control.

"I'm really looking forward to it (the fight) and I've been doing well in training. I've been training for months and months now, doing plenty of sparring so I'm well ready for it.

"It's something I've always had a massive interest in but because I've been doing really well in football I always went down that route and my family persuaded me to do that...it's easier on the face!

"Boxing has helped me massively with my football...I don't think I'd be performing anywhere near as well if it wasn't for it.”

The past few years have been frustrating for Storey with playing opportunities limited, but linking up with Johnston – someone he watched win Irish League titles from the Solitude terraces as a youngster – has helped him fall back in love with football.

"It's one of the happiest times I've had in my playing career,” he added. “It's something I needed because since I've came back from England I haven't had what I've wanted in terms of game time...I've went to big clubs like Derry City and Cliftonville where there are a lot of experienced players in front of me.

"It was getting to a stage where I knew that every weekend I wasn't going to be getting much game time so I wasn't looking forward to it...that's not me.

"Johnty and I have built a great relationship...he has told me how much he believes in me. For someone like him who has done what he has done in his career to believe in me is great.

"Even when I wasn't at Distillery we would have been close enough and I asked him for advice when I came back from England and where he felt I should go and what I should do.

"It came to a point where he said come to Distillery and he would get my confidence back up...that's what has happened. I’m over the moon."