Rio Ferdinand set to announce plans to become a professional boxer

Rio Ferdinand is set to embark on an extraordinary plan to become a professional boxer.

The 38-year-old former West Ham, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers and England defender hopes to fight for an English title in 2018.

Ferdinand retired from professional football in 2015 and has since been building up his business portfolio and enjoying punditry work with an Evening Standard column and on television with BT Sport and the BBC.

In an extract from Tuesday's exclusive interview, Ferdinand told Standard Sport's Simon Johnson: "I'm going to walk the walk and actually do it."

​Ferdinand won six Premier League titles and a Champions League with United during his football career as well as 81 England caps.

The transition from football to boxing is in union with Betfair's 'Defender to Contender' project, similar to the 'Switching Saddles' challenge Victoria Pendleton took part in last year.

In a statement released ahead of the announcement, Ferdinand said: “When Betfair approached me about the Defender to Contender challenge, the chance to prove myself in a new sport was a real draw.