Former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt is planning to take up boxing and is seeking a celebrity opponent for a fight later this year.
Kuyt, 41, is the latest footballer to pick up the gloves after agreeing to take part in an event in Rotterdam in October, which will be led by Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.
Kuyt retired from professional football in 2017 after helping Feyenoord win the Dutch Eredivisie title on the final day of the season and the former Netherlands international admits he misses the “tension” of his playing days.
Kuyt is now ready for a new challenge and is seeking an opponent for his debut fight.
He told the Humberto Talk Show: "As a former football player, I know what it’s like to be in a stadium.
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"It’s been about four years since I stopped playing football. And of course I miss that tension and that struggle to win a match.
"I have practiced many other sports, such as tennis, paddle tennis and fitness. But getting into a ring is new to me.
"So I would love to get into that battle against another celebrity. From now on I will train hard."
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Kuyt is not the only former Premier League star who is preparing to make his boxing debut.
Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra was set to take on YouTube star Adam Saleh at the O2 Arena in London on April 30, on the undercard of Martyn Ford's fight with 'The Iranian Hulk', Sajad Ghabiri.
Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara was also set to feature on the card against Kris Boyson.
However, both fights had to be postponed after the main event between Ford and Ghabiri was called off, forcing the entire event to be scrapped.
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A statement on Instagram read: "Boxstar, are regrettably postponing the planned event on April 30. The announcement comes after the headline fight was cancelled earlier this week.
"To lose such a big (in every sense of the word) main event has understandably been a blow to the event and to the fans.
"Due to this, rather than pushing ahead with the April 30, we have instead made the difficult decision to postpone the event.
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"Anyone who has bought tickets for the April 30 show will be entitled to a full refund."
Topics: Liverpool, Dirk Kuyt, Football, Premier League, Boxing
Rory O'Callaghan