Rio Ferdinand set to announce he will 'take up professional boxing'

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The former England and Manchester United star plans to announce on Tuesday that he will attempt to become a professional boxer.

Ferdinand, 38, has scheduled a press conference to make a "major news announcement", which looks to be his move into the ring.

Currently a pundit for BT Sport, Ferdinand has stayed in impressive shape since his retirement from football.

Ferdinand would be following in the footsteps of former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff, who strapped on the gloves after a hugely successful career in his primary sport.

After retiring from football in 2015, Ferdinand has been dropping hints about this proposed move for a while now.

His fitness regimen heavily involves boxing and he's a close friend of Anthony Joshua.