Tony Bellew has insisted he will continue to fight and has targeted Tyson Fury and Andre Ward as potential future opponents.

The 35-year-old stopped David Haye in five rounds in their rematch at London’s 02 Arena, dropping the former WBA heavyweight champion three times and leaving him to consider retirement.

Bellew’s trainer Dave Coldwell and his promoter Eddie Hearn revealed they would also like their fighter to retire, given two significant purses against Haye followed him having achieved his ambitions of winning a world title and fighting at Everton’s Goodison Park.

Despite his victories at heavyweight and the fact he continues to improve, Bellew recognises his natural size compared to that of reigning world champions Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder means they are too big and powerful for him to challenge.

He regardless considers the less powerful Fury a worthwhile risk and believes American Ward – a world champion at super-middleweight and light-heavyweight – can be tempted out of retirement.

“It’s hard when you’ve had your defining moment in this sport. What am I chasing?,” Bellew said.

“I don’t know. I like fighting and challenges, and I’ve definitely got a screw loose, so I’ll keep fighting until the screw detaches itself.

“I’m not stopping now. See if I can talk (wife Rachael) round and we’ll go from there. That’s my biggest fight.

“It doesn’t matter what I do I can’t beat (Goodison Park).

“My first words to (Haye, post-fight) were ‘Please stop’. This is a very unforgiving sport, it’s a young man’s game for the attributes Haye relies on. All the attributes he had, he doesn’t possess them. He’s an amazing fighter and will go down better than me.

“I’ll beat Andre Ward. An amazing fighter, but I will beat him.

“I’d love to knock Tyson Fury out, I really would, and I know I can flatten him. But (I’m not waiting for the returning Fury to have) three or four fights.”

Bellew had struggled with the death of his brother-in-law Ashley Roberts last year, and that was the special thing he had at ringside - a vacant seat in memory of Ashley.

He said: “Emotionally, I haven’t really been there this camp.

“Emotionally it’s been one of the worst camps. I’ve been in a hotel room at night this week, I’m on my own, and you cry yourself to sleep because your missus is gone and you can’t do it in front of her because of my brother-in-law.

“It’s just hard and the family is broken. Tonight, I had his dad sitting there. I left an empty seat at ringside — and they’re not cheap. I just left it for him and I know he was there. I dedicate this fight to Ash.

It's believed those ringside seats are worth around £3,000, but it clearly helped Bellew over the line.