Former England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard has signed up for a new team after joining Spain’s La Manga Club sports and leisure resort as a cricketing ambassador.
Hoggard follows in the footsteps of a number of top British stars including Scotland football legends Kenny Dalglish and Gordon Strachan and ex-women’s tennis number one Jo Durie to give his backing to the luxury venue.
The former Yorkshire and Leicestershire star, who took 248 wickets in 67 Tests for England and was a key member of Michael Vaughan’s side that won the memorable 2005 Ashes series, retired from cricket in 2013 but remains heavily involved in the game.
Regularly used for warm-weather training breaks by county and international teams as well as being a regular venue for ICC European tournaments, La Manga Club is widely regarded as the ‘home of cricket’ in Spain, and the resort further enhanced its facilities last year by launching the continent’s first European Cricket Performance Centre, which recently opened the first of its new grass wickets.
Hoggard said: “It’s an enormous privilege to have been asked to join the ambassador programme at La Manga Club, one of the most famous destination venues in the sporting world.
“With a host of world-class facilities, the resort has so much to offer to everyone that visits, both professionals and amateurs alike.
“La Manga Club has some very exciting plans to develop the cricket side of its business, and I’m really looking forward to being a part of its future.”
Covering an area three times the size of Monaco in Murcia, south-east Spain, La Manga Club is renowned for setting the benchmark for sports and leisure destinations across Europe, with its European Cricket Performance Centre a perfect illustration of its long-term commitment to investing in first-class facilities.
The venue will welcome the fifth annual World Golf Awards Gala Ceremony later this year.