Audley Harrison feels there is just one thing missing from his life - a world heavyweight title. Harrison's career since turning professional after winning Olympic gold in 2000 has been one of frustration, disappointment and, at times, ridicule.

Much hype surrounded his entrance to the paid ranks following his success in Sydney but he has rarely looked like fulfilling his potential.

His only world title fight was ended inside three rounds by David Haye and he was widely written off after last year's humbling first-round knockout - his sixth professional defeat - by David Price.

But at 41, Harrison remains undeterred and after success in the recent Prizefighter contest and a realisation he let his career drift from 2004 onwards, he feels in his best shape for some time.

He returns to the ring against hard-hitting unbeaten American Deontay Wilder in Sheffield this weekend and is convinced victory will force the world's best to take note.

He said: "Being an athlete is 90% mental, when you get out there the physical work is done.

"I lost control of myself and it has taken a long time to get that control back.

"But in those eight years I fixed my life - happily married, beautiful wife, beautiful daughter, another on the way.

"I'm a nice family man - the playboy, the narcissist guy has gone to the side now.

"My life is a perfect beautiful life and the final thing I need to sort out is my boxing career.

"It got mended a bit with Prizefighter and on Saturday I'm right back in the heavyweight picture.";

Harrison feels he let himself get too distracted by everything that came with life as a professional boxer.

He said: "The business side of things - I am not going to lie - definitely took me away from where I needed to be as an athlete.

"I took on a lot and I lost a lot of my mental strength fighting with the system.

"But it doesn't matter why I fell, what matters is I kept on getting up and learning those lessons we have all got to go through.

"Every time I have lost I have come back. I haven't done it on the world level but I have come back every time from defeat."

The task ahead of him at the Motorpoint Arena is a tough one with 27-year-old Wilder having won all 27 of his fights by knockout.

The Alabama native is regarded as one of the upcoming wave of promising heavyweights along with Price and Tyson Fury but Harrison has sparred with him in the past.

He said: "He is a good prospect. He doesn't know how to lose and he is definitely coming to win.

"There is mutual respect there but on Saturday night we put that to one side and go to war.

"Mentally I'm back, physically I'm back. He is going to have to beat me with ability.

"His record doesn't faze me. He has got to show me he can go past me in the real thing."

Wilder has also spoken this week of his high regard for Harrison but that has not stopped him confidently predicting victory for himself.

He intends to see off Harrison and continue to make waves through the division until reaching the Klitschko brothers Vitali and Wladimir at the top.

He said: "David Price, Tyson Fury - there are some good guys and I don't scratch David Haye out.

"But I am comfortable in myself, that is why I say what I say.

"I am confident in what Deontay Wilder is going to do and how he is going to perform come Saturday night.

"The Klitschkos? Most definitely. They are the most wanted in the world.

"Hopefully I'll get the opportunity before they retire. I want to get in there.

"I don't want to fight for a vacant belt. I want to fight the guys who have held the titles for so long. That would mean so much more."

Harrison and Wilder meet on a busy night in Sheffield on the undercard to Amir Khan's clash with Julio Diaz.

Anthony Ogogo, who won a bronze at last year's Olympics, makes his professional debut in a six-round middleweight fight against Telford's Kieron Gray.

Ogogo, of Lowestoft, said: "I am thrilled to be making my pro debut on such a big card.

"I have trained really hard and I can't wait.

"I want to make a splash now and continue to kick on."