David Haye has suggested that Tyson Fury’s return to boxing has been motivated by the potential earnings the ‘Gypsy King’ has missed out on during his time away from boxing.

Fury, now 30, has had a two-and-a-half year absence from the sport since he was charged in 2016 due to the presence of prohibited substances in his system.

During this time he has also had battles with depression and his mental health.

Fury has recently returned to boxing, signing a deal with Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions, and claims that his return was motivated by a desire to inspire others struggling with similar mental health issues.

However, during an exclusive interview with Starsport, Haye suggested a massive contributing factor is the financial benefit that Fury will gain from reigniting his boxing career.

“I’ve got a sneaky suspicion he realises that he missed out on about 30-40 million pound during his little sabbatical,” claimed Haye.

“He won’t want to be missing out on any more of those zeroes because he deserves some.”

Haye and Fury were twice scheduled to fight during the latter's initial rise to the top, with the former pulling out through injury on both occasions, and the former WBA heavyweight champion would like to see Fury return to the peak of his powers.

“He’s a big character, everyone knows his name and he’s a very good fighter.

"I hope he can get back to his former glory.”

The ‘Gypsy King’ began his return in June this year, when he faced Sefer Seferi in Manchester.

Over 800,000 tuned in to see Fury produce a dominant display in round four, proving too much for the Albanian, who quit on his stool.

Fury will now be looking ahead to Saturday, where, once again, all eyes will be on him as he faces former European Union heavyweight champion Francesco Pianeta, in front of a packed crowd in Belfast.

If Fury can pass this test, the potential for a mouthwatering clash against Deontay Wilder suddenly becomes very real.