Home fights persuaded Amir Khan to join Matchroom

Amir Khan has revealed his unexpected decision to sign for Matchroom and Eddie Hearn was motivated by his desire to again fight out of Britain.

The welterweight, who has signed a three-fight contract with a promoter he has long disliked, will return at Liverpool's Echo Arena on April 21 against an opponent they hope to announce next week.

He will have been inactive for almost two years, since his heavy knockout defeat by Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, and will also be fighting in the UK for the first time in five years.

When he last did so, he outpointed Julio Diaz at the Sheffield Arena, but having signed for Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions when leaving Frank Warren in 2010, ten of his 12 fights since then have been in the US.

That he has a reputation there potentially increases his value to Matchroom, who recently began expanding to America, and Khan told Press Association Sport: "I had a lot of options but wanted my career to be in England.

"That's why I picked Eddie. I know for a fact he can get me the big fights.

"I've got two or three years left in me and want the best fights of my career. We decided to put our egos to one side, and start working with one another, and forget about the 'He said this'. It's business, isn't it?

"It's a little surreal (working with Hearn). Eddie's good at that and you have to respect him."

Press Association Sport understands that the 31-year-old rejected an offer from ITV to work with Matchroom, having appeared on their reality television series I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! late last year.

"I was in the jungle, thinking very hard in there, on my own and not listening to other people, and thinking about where I wanted to be in my life," he said.

"I wanted people to see the real side of me, and then that I wanted to get back on the boxing scene again, make sure I come back with a bang. The only way to do that is with someone established."