Rio Ferdinand is set to make the extraordinary move to become a professional boxer.
The staggering development will be confirmed in a press conference on Tuesday, though it is believed to be more likely as a television project rather than as a serious sporting endeavour.
That switch would see him emulate former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff, who beat American novice Richard Dawson in a four-round heavyweight bout in 2012 as part of a documentary series. He suggested he would continue fighting but never returned to the sport, having been trained by Shane McGuigan.
Rio Ferdinand, pictured left with Anthony Joshua, is set to become a professional boxer
He has posted videos on social media of him hitting punch bags since retiring from football
Ferdinand has posted videos on his Instagram page of him hitting punch bags since he ended his illustrious football career in 2015.
His love of boxing is apparent on social media, with a picture of the former defender’s Twitter profile showing him draped in the WBA, IBF and IBO heavyweight title belts of his friend Anthony Joshua.
Ferdinand was in attendance when Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in April and posed for pictures with the Olympic gold medallist.
There are also several videos on his Instagram page showing Ferdinand training with the gloves. One from July features ‘Eye of the Tiger’ playing in the background with a caption that reads: ‘Boxing Fridays…. left right left right… boom! Don’t beat around the bush….’.
Ferdinand goes on to tag former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, asking ‘when ya get ur licence back?’. The video ends with Ferdinand leaping over a garden hedge, an indicator, perhaps, of how seriously he takes the prospect.
Former Sheffield United striker Curtis Woodhouse, who tweeted his support on Monday, won the British light-welterweight title in 2012 after swapping football for the sweet science.
Ferdinand enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Man United, winning six Premier League titles
His switch would see him emulate former England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff (right)
Woodhouse believes that Ferdinand could be trying to rediscover his competitive edge if he takes to the ring.
‘When it came up on my Twitter feed that Rio Ferdinand was going to become a professional boxer I thought I’d been hacked,’ he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
‘It’s not something you read every day is it? I was shocked in that aspect.
‘One thing that I missed – I’ve been retired three years myself – and one thing I missed and he’s probably going through himself at the minute is the competitiveness of being an athlete. That nervousness, that tension.
‘Once that’s taken away from you it’s very, very difficult to replace it, so that’s probably what he’s chasing to get that competitiveness back in his life.’
The former England international regularly posts boxing workout videos on his Instagram
Woodhouse also believes it will take Ferdinand a lengthy period of time to get to grips with the technical aspects of boxing.
‘The training and everything didn’t take me by surprise but I found learning the technical side of the game really difficult,’ he added.
‘There’s a lot of things go on in a boxing ring that you don’t realise until you get in there. It takes a long, long time to feel comfortable in the boxing ring.
‘Your ego will take a bit of a knock. He’s going to have to get used to a few setbacks along the way. He’ll definitely struggle with the technical side of the game.’
But if Ferdinand is to engage in a professional contest, he will have to apply for a licence, which Flintoff achieved with relative ease.
Ex-Sheffield United striker Curtis Woodhouse won the British light-welterweight title in 2012
As a player, Ferdinand typically weighed around 82kg, which would put him in the cruiserweight division, though he has gained muscle mass since leaving football. Anything over 90kg would put him in the heavyweights.
The 38-year-old enjoyed a trophy-laden 12-year spell at Manchester United, where he won six Premier League titles and one Champions League.
He was also a regular for England, making 81 appearances and scoring three goals after making his debut in 1997 — his last Three Lions match came in 2011.
Ferdinand hung up his boots in 2015 after a single season with Queens Park Rangers.
Since ending his illustrious football career, Ferdinand is a regular on TV screens as a pundit