Nearly eight weeks have passed since James DeGale boxed his way to an Olympic gold medal, yet the Londoner recalls his triumph as though it was only yesterday.

"The feeling of me standing on the top of the podium, wrapped in the Union flag with the medal hanging from a ribbon around my neck and the national anthem ringing out, was unbelievable," he said.

"It was just the best thing in the world to be up there. Can I say it was better than sex? That's why the decision I've got to make is so big. I'm torn, man, I'm really torn."

By the end of this month DeGale will either commit himself to four more years boxing as an amateur with the aim of defending his Olympic title at London 2012 or join the ranks of the professionals.

DeGale, 22, said: "My heart is telling me that just eight or nine miles from where I live in Harlesden I could be winning another gold medal in my home city. But it's a big gamble. What if I get injured? I believe it's unlikely, but what if somebody comes through who might beat me on the big day?

"I have to think about me and my family. If I stay amateur I might be able to push for fifty grand a year in funding and I could live comfortably on that, maybe get myself a little car.

"Or I could turn professional, get a lovely, lovely car, look after the family, pay off the mortgage and set myself up for the rest of my life. Money talks."

DeGale has been talking big figures. When this middleweight contender announced he would not consider signing a professional contract for less than £2million over two years, you could hear a collective intake of breath from promoters.

It would be wrong to label DeGale as arrogant. He is genuinely touched by the attention he attracts and he has started visiting local schools where he tells youngsters: "I'm just an ordinary boy but I worked hard, kept at it, pushed myself and now I'm going down in history. If I can do it, so can you."

But DeGale is brimming with confidence about what he has to offer and what that is worth. "I've done my homework," he said. "I've spoken to people like Amir Khan. Maybe I won't get £2m, but it will be something near it.

"Some promoters think they can nick me cheap, but no way. I'm not going for peanuts. If they offer me a lot less, it is disrespecting the gold medal."

DeGale attributes much of his Beijing success to Terry Edwards, the boxing team's head coach whose position has been called into question by the setting up of a new British Amateur Boxing Association.

"I can't understand why there should be any doubts about Terry," said DeGale. "Maybe it's because he's not a 'yes' man. But he's cool with us. He's hard, he's strict, but we respect him.

"If he goes, I'm 100 per cent turning professional."

DeGale will be ringside in Atlantic City this Saturday for the mega-fight between Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik. There he will be courted by leading US promoters Oscar de la Hoya and Bob Arum.

DeGale has no doubts that he can hack it as a professional. He said: "I proved in China that I can handle the pressure. I don't want to shout my mouth off too much but in the sport I'm in you've got to have self-belief.

"You don't win an Olympic gold medal unless you have something special."