Rio Ferdinand's dream of becoming a professional boxer is over.

The ex-England and Manchester United defender made headlines last year when he revealed he would attempt to make the brave transition into becoming a professional boxer, and aimed to fight for the first time at some stage in 2018.

After missing his target to have a first fight in February, the former defender took to Instagram to reveal that the British Boxing Board of Control had refused his request to be granted a professional boxing license.

As a result of the bad news, Rio has decided to hang up his gloves:

"Having been training 4-5 times a week since announcing the aim of achieving a professional boxing licence and stepping into the ring, it is with a heavy heart that I am hanging up my gloves on @betfair #DefendertoContender challenge. Despite having never felt better physically or mentally, After notifying the British Boxing Board of Control of my intention to apply for a licence, I have received confirmation that they would not be reviewing my application at this point in time. To say I’m disappointed by this decision is an understatement. To not be given the chance to demonstrate my ability to the BBBoC through the standard assessment afforded to others is hard to take, not only for me, but also to @richie_woodhall, @meldeane12 and the countless others who have dedicated their time to my boxing development over the past five months."

Rio's mission was part of the "Defender to Contender" campaign in association with Betfair and came under criticism from some fighters, including Tony Bellew.