In December, Clarke (9-3-1, 7 KOs) produced a lackluster display in losing a 12-round decision to Jeamie TKV for the vacant British title.

The result — and performance — persuaded Clarke to seek out Gallagher's help and the pair got straight down to work. Rather than tiptoe their way forward, the new team plunged into an April bout with Australia's highly rated contender Justis Huni.

Despite losing a majority decision on the Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov undercard, he performed well and took plenty of confidence from the 10-round contest.

Having recovered from a hand injury during the defeat, Clarke is gearing up for a summer return. Provided he emerges through that bout unscathed, Gallagher wants him to jump right back in at world level.

"We've said all along, we want to get Frazer straight back out. He had a little bit of a broken thumb. That's healed. I believe Boxxer have got a show coming up and I've said I want him back out on that," Gallagher told The Ring.

"I've said to Frazer, 'In The Ring's ratings, Huni is 10. I doubt they would have given you the number 10 position, but you were one round from winning that fight. If you'd either won the fifth or ninth, you would have won that and beaten him on boxing ability, not on one punch.' The gap isn't that big."

Clarke has boxed, and fallen short, in contesting the British title three times.

In March 2024, he and future WBO champion Fabio Wardley were in a brutal back-and-forth battle which couldn't be separated as the latter made the first defense of his Lonsdale belt with a 12-round split draw. Wardley closed that chapter of his career with a definitive first-round knockout seven months later in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Then came that disappointing decision defeat by TKV.

Rather than trying to engineer a shot at current champion and former gymmate Richard Riakporhe, or treading water while waiting in line for another chance, his head coach wants Clarke to broaden his horizons.

The division's top dogs all have their own business to contend with and will remain out of reach for the foreseeable future. However, heavyweight has become so high profile and created several storylines recently, so Clarke facing any of the world's top-15 fighters would generate interest and propel the winner into an even bigger bout.

That is where Gallagher wants Clarke to set his aim.

"I want him to be out and then in with the big names," he said.

"I think there's opportunities there for him to fight Deontay Wilder, Joe Joyce and them type of people. We're not bothering down at British level for his age, career, what he's done and achieved.

"He's had a few British opportunities, they haven't worked but let's move on. There's a big heavyweight division there with some big fights for him that we can go and do something in."