AMIR Khan has said that stepping in front of the camera to model for fashion firm Prada was just as nerve-wracking as stepping into the boxing ring.

However, the current super lightweight world champion said that he was unlikely to quit boxing for modelling — as it would be too boring.

Khan, currently in America training for his fight against Lamont Peterson in Washington DC on December 10, was hired by the renowned Italian fashion house to model for its new eyewear advertising campaign. He said: “I’ve done a couple of shoots; one in Soho in New York and I also had a week in Italy.

“It can be a bit boring.

Sometimes they go on for five hours but it’s brought me out of myself a little bit more. It could help my boxing career.

It’s difficult but you get used to it.”

The 24-year-old Bolton boxer revealed that the Italian fashion house asked him personally to appear in the adverts, which were shot by legendary portrait photographer Brigitte Lacombe.

“They approached me — I didn’t approach them,”

he said. “It was a bit of a surprise but I’m happy because I get free shades, which is good, especially now I’m in LA.

“It’s quite unusual. Not many boxers get approached to model so I jumped at the chance.

They want different faces and athletes to promote their stuff, so they chose me.”

Khan is featured on posters and magazine adverts for the company’s new “Resolute” style of sunglasses.

“There were posters up all over Italy and I think they want to put them across Europe,” he said.

“It was really different but I enjoyed it.”

Also featuring in the campaign are Italian Olympic champion Roberto Cammarelle and American Bernard Hopkins, the oldest fighter in the history of the sport to win a major world title. When announcing the boxers who would be featured in the campaign, Prada said they were chosen not just thanks to their prestigious track record, but also because of their strong personalities and their sporting talent and determination.

Last month it was announced that the Bolton fighter had hired top marketing agency M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment to help turn him into one of the world’s leading sporting brands to rival the likes of David Beckham or Tiger Woods.