BOXING star Josh Taylor could step in the ring with WBA super lightweight champion Ricky Burns in the near future, according to his manager.

Taylor, 26, has long been linked with a fight against fellow Scottish boxing star Burns, the current WBA and IBF world super-lightweight champion, with the SSE Hydro in Glasgow touted as a potential venue.

Barry McGuigan, the former world champion who runs Taylor’s promotor Cyclone Promotions, believes his charge is “not quite ready yet” to face the Coatbridge star.

Burns is preparing to face Julius Indongo for the WBA and IBF world titles in a unification clash at the SSE Hydro on April 15.

McGuigan said: “We’re not taking our eyes off Ricky Burns and his fight with Indongo.

“It is not my dilemma because Shane [McGuigan, Barry’s son and Taylor’s coach] ultimately is the boss.

“I manage him but [Shane] decides who and when he fights, because he’s the coach.

“I want to be aggressive with him and I want to move him on but I understand the issue is that he’s not ready yet.”

The Northern Irishman was speaking at the announcement of Taylor’s Commonwealth super lightweight title defence against South African Warren Joubert at the Meadowbank Arena in Edinburgh on March 24.

McGuigan was also questioned as to whether Burns was on the decline, at the age of 33.

McGuigan added: “I think he’s struggled in every fight he’s had as a super lightweight. [Burns] should beat Indongo but that won’t be an easy fight because Indongo is a good boxer.”

Meanwhile, on the subject of a future world title fight, Taylor outlined his dream venue.

The Prestonpans fighter told Courier Sport: “I was walking the dog up Arthur’s Seat with [girlfriend] Danielle the other day and I saw the castle and said: ‘What a setting that would be?’

“It would be amazing up on the esplanade with all that in the background.”

The Commonwealth super lightweight champion was aware, though, of one potential drawback...

“You just don’t know if you’re going to get the weather,” he added.

Taylor, an avid Hibernian FC supporter, said that Hibs’ Easter Road stadium would be his other dream venue for a world title fight.

The Tartan Tornado’s immediate focus, though, is on the challenge of South African Warren ‘The Warrior’ Joubert at Meadowbank as he defends his title for the first time.