Micheal Conlan admits he would have been disapointed if his ‘phenomenal’ fighting achievements were not recognised come award season.

The amateur bantamweight sensation made history by becoming Ireland’s first male gold medal winner this year, beating Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan in the world final in Doha in October.

As well as becoming a father for the first time the 24 year old also qualified for RIO 2016, a tournament he is targeting gold in, and claimed European gold in a successful 12 month period.

The competitive Belfast fighter’s achievements have seen him nominated for RTE Sports Personality of the Year as well BBC NI Sports Personality of the Year and after collecting the BBC version of the prestigious award Conlan admitted he would have been disappointed not have picked up one of the accolades.

 “It’s great to achieve it when you see the calibre of sporting greats that have won this award before,” said Conlan.

“But if I hadn’t won any award this year, I’d have been a bit disappointed.

“I’m very, very competitive. And I think what I’ve done this year is phenomenal so to see that being recognised is great.

“It’s been a fantastic 12 months. I qualified for Rio twice, through the World Series of Boxing and then winning the World Championship.

“Winning the world championship was 10 times better because no other Irish male fighter had done that before me.

“I also had a wee baby girl and got engaged plus I won a European gold as well.”