Anton will join the ESA Group board lead by former AFC Bournemouth Chairman Eddie Mitchell that includes Topgolf co-founder Eric Wilkinson and Yaron Tal an international entrepreneur.

“ESA and FTY both have had an amazing impact in professional and grass roots football, both locally and globally” said Eddie Mitchell, Chairman and founder of ESA. ” We are excited to partner with Anton to support the board in our next chapter of expansion for both of the brands and, build our strengths and capabilities even further”

Russell Stokes, CEO at ESA Group commented: “We are delighted to have Anton join, and I am fully confident Ferdinand Football Group are the ideal partners for our next phase of strategic growth as we expand exciting technology driven FTY locations into new markets, for football fans to enjoy around the world”

Anton Ferdinand also gave his insight into the appointment “Players and teams all now use data analytics as a critical piece of team operations to measure performance, recovery and progress.

Technology in sport is something I am very passionate about and is another fun aspect of the game that helps connect with the youth generations who can also gamify their training and progress”

ABOUT ESA GROUP

Founded in 2014, Elite Skills Arena managed by ESA Group, provides an innovative range of training equipment that allows professional football athletes to achieve peak performance and consistency paired with statistic data driven analytics.

ESA products are used by many of the worlds top flight professional football teams, academies and training facilities, ESA has achieved substantial growth since 2014 and now has a global network of distributors

FTY opening in 2021 a tech driven football inspired consumer experience which is powered by Elite Skills Arena equipment, creating a truly unique experience for every player whether they are looking for fun or fitness, ESA Group plans to expand FTY into 40+ locations around the UK as well as expand into new overseas markets.

ABOUT FERDINAND FOOTBALL GROUP

The Ferdinand Football Group Ltd (FFG) was established In 2021 as an exciting and modern football training program and educational platform for all players from 2 years old upwards.

Developing skills are nurtured though the FFG unique steps to success encouraging children to think and train with creativity and a positive mindset, using sport and physical activity to inspire children to be aware of the impact and benefits of being active and living a healthy lifestyle.