“I think he’s a good fighter. I think the talent’s definitely there,” Smith said to talkSPORT Boxing. “I think he’s improving under Andy Lee’s last few performances.”

“I’d like to see his level of opposition step up a little bit, but he’s doing everything that’s needed of him. He’s not going 10 rounds with the opposition he’s fighting now. He is getting rid of them the way he should.”

Whittaker has surged up the rankings with a string of dominant victories, but Smith believes recognizable British names would answer the remaining questions surrounding the Olympic silver medalist.

“I think one of those names would be ideal,” Smith said. “At this stage of his career and his age, I think that’s where he needs to be.”

Smith argued that victories over respected domestic opponents would carry more weight than stopping little-known international challengers.

“I think the fact with them being domestic as well, the public will probably buy into it, and you get more respect over beating one of them,” Smith said. “He could bring a good fighter over, but if he’s foreign and he blows him away right away, people just assume he was a nobody who was there to be knocked out. If he beats a familiar name who people know can fight, then I think he’ll gain a lot more respect.”

Smith also credited Andy Lee for tightening Whittaker’s approach inside the ring.

“I think he’s a little bit more patient,” Smith said. “He throws with intent, and there’s a little bit less showboating. When he gets in the ring, he means business a little bit more now, which I think you’ve got to as you step up through the levels.”

While Smith sees genuine world-title potential in Whittaker, he believes the 29-year-old has now reached the stage where performances alone are no longer enough. The next step is proving himself against opponents capable of testing him over championship-level competition.