Rio Ferdinand to lunch professional boxing

Rio Ferdinand is launching a new profession as a professional boxer,  years after he retired from soccer.

The 38-12 months-old's flow into the ring is being backed by using making a bet enterprise Betfair, which introduced the information on Tuesday.

Former Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand works as a tv pundit and he has his personal garb line.

"i am doing this as it's a undertaking," he said. "i've won titles and now i'm aiming for a belt."

He has posted several social media videos in recent months displaying him boxing and operating with personal instructor Mel Deane.

Ferdinand, who received the gold standard League six instances and the Champions League as soon as in the course of his time in Manchester, might also follow within the footsteps of former Birmingham town midfielder Curtis Woodhouse and former Crystal Palace forward Leon McKenzie, who have become professional boxers after quitting football. Woodhouse became British splendid-lightweight champion.

Former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff also released a boxing career after retiring, prevailing his best seasoned bout in December 2012 towards American Richard Dawson at Manchester arena on factors.

Ferdinand may be coached by team GB train and previous WBC superb-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall.

the former centre-lower back commenced his profession with West Ham and additionally played for Leeds and QPR, making extra than 500 career membership appearances. He became capped eighty one times for England.

Woodhouse advised BBC Radio 5 live he was "bowled over" to pay attention of Ferdinand's profession trade.

"when it got here up on my Twitter feed that Rio Ferdinand changed into going to end up a expert boxer I concept i might been hacked," he said. "it is no longer something you study each day is it?

"i have been retired three years myself and one aspect I overlooked - and he is in all likelihood going through himself on the minute - is the competitiveness of being an athlete.

"once that's taken faraway from you it is very, very hard to replace it, so that's in all likelihood what he is chasing - to get that competitiveness back in his life."