Rio Ferdinand refused professional boxing licence

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand has been denied a professional boxing licence.

The ex-Manchester United player announced on his Facebook account that the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) has refused to review his application.

Ferdinand, who embarked on a boxing career last September, said that he was "disappointed" by the governing body's decision.

"To not be given the chance to demonstrate my ability to the BBBofC through the standard assessment afforded to others is hard to take," he wrote.

Ferdinand launched his boxing career with the help of a sponsorship deal with Betfair and coaching from former WBC super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall, and had his sights set on winning a belt.