The leader of England’s failed bid for the 2018 World Cup has been appointed to the board of the British Olympic Association.

Andy Anson, who is also a former commercial director of Manchester United and European chief executive of the ATP tennis tour, will serve as an independent non-executive director of the BOA.

Anson says “I will use my global commercial insight from my work in football, tennis and the media” to support the Olympic body.

Anson was chief executive of the England bid, which received two votes from FIFA in the December election that sent the 2018 World Cup to Russia.

Also appointed to the 16-member BOA board yesterday was commercial lawyer Denise Jagger.