FOLLOWING his European title win, Lee Selby hopes to be bringing home a world title to the Vale before the year is out.

At the Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, last weekend (Saturday, February 1) Selby stopped Leicester's Rendall Munroe in the sixth round to claim the European featherweight title.

Now the 26-year-old from Barry plans to put himself in title contention before the end of 2014.

Following in the footsteps of boxing legend Howard Winstone, Selby has now defended his British title four times and won the European title putting the 18-1 fighter up there with the very best in boxing today.

The man many are calling the Welsh Mayweather said he was delighted to bring home the belt.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," he said. "It was a massive fight but it went to plan. I knew he was going to be a pressure fighter, so I went out and tried to wear him down."

The fight saw Selby using his speed, accuracy and movement to find the angles to land on Munroe, picking his windows to put big punches on the former world title challenger and drive him into the ropes.

In the sixth round Selby forced his unsteady opponent into the corner and unleashed a series of blows before the referee stopped the fight.

Munroe has complained of an early stoppage, but Selby sees it differently.

"He has said that," said Selby, "but I hit him with about 40 punches and the last couple I caught him with I could see he wasn't with it."

The win has placed Selby in a position where he may be just a few fights away from a world title fight.

"I think I'm the first fighter since Winstone to defend the Lonsdale belt four times and then win the European belt. It's a massive honour.

"I want to win a world title. I've been boxing since I was eight years of age so that's always been my dream. It would make my life, I'd be happy.

"I think I'm going back to the Motorpoint arena in May to defend the title and then I want to fight for the world title before the end of the year."