Paddy Barnes returned home to Belfast yesterday an Olympic hero following his Beijing adventure.

Barnes managed to take his game to a new level while also voicing what many were thinking when he let rip at the awful judging following his semi-final defeat at the hands of China’s Zou Shiming.

Now Barnes, with a bronze medal in his pocket must weigh up whether or not he should turn professional or remain an amateur.

The European Championships in Liverpool in November seem an obvious target but having achieved a bronze on the biggest stage of all, can it get any better?

Former World champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Barry McGuigan believes the time is right for the Belfast light-flyweight to leave the amateur vest behind and join the paid ranks.

McGuigan watched with admiration at how Barnes carried him

self in the ring in Beijing, mixing his aggression with smart boxing as he marched through to the last four before losing to the eventual champion Shiming - arguably the best boxer in the tournament.

McGuigan said: “It was great to see all the Irish lads box so well, they gave everything.

“Paddy was exceptional. I thought he boxed very well. Paddy is very strong but also physically very intelligent. He knows when to attack and he also seems to know how to adjust in the ring.

“Obviously what he does next is up to him but if decides to turn professional I think he would make a great little pro.”

McGuigan has general concerns about the ability of current amateurs to make the transition to the professional business, purely because of the nature of the sport.

The amateur scene has changed dramatically since the days when the Clones Cyclone was burning up a path to gold at the Commonwealth Games in 1978.

“It’s almost like two different sports now because there is a huge difference between the two styles,” added McGuigan.

“The guys are taught to box a certain way in order to score on the computer but that style hasn to change if you want to be successful as a professional.

“I think the computer scoring has to change. In fact I would like it to back to the old days when you had five judges scoring rather than hitting the buttons.

“It’s never going to be perfect but I think that would be much better.”

Meanwhile, the IABA have named their eight-strong squad for the World Youth Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, from October 25-November 1.

Exciting Belfast prospects Tyrone McKenna and Tommy McCarthy of the Oliver Plunkett club and Ruari Dalton of St John’s have been chosen for the trip, which will see one of the biggest Irish squads at such a junior event.

The squad travel to Guadalajara for a training camp on October 12th and will train and spar with Russia, Uzbekistan and France - Germany may also join the training camp according to Irish head coach Jim Moore.

The Great Britain and English squads will help Ireland prepare for the Championships when they arrive in Dublin for a week’s training at the National Stadium on September 29th.

Great Britain will also compete at the World Youths.

Irish squad:

51Kg: Ruari Dalton (St John's Belfast); 54Kg: Tyrone McCullagh (Illies GG); 57Kg: Tyrone McKenna (Oliver Plunkett Belfast); 60Kg: Ray Moylett (St Anne's Westport); 64Kg: Jamie Kavanagh (Crumlin BC); 69Kg: David Joyce (St Michael's Athy); 75Kg: Bernard Roe (Dublin Docklands); 81Kg: Thomas McCarthy (Oliver Plunkett Belfast).