Former English footballer Michael Owen has been named as the official ambassador of the Pakistan Football League (PFL), the Global Soccer Ventures (GSV) said in a press release on Friday.

“Owen will take the reins of Pakistan football to help devise a strategic partnership programme by uniting the nation with the might of football in England. Owen will reveal the PFL logo from the home of football in England in October,” the statement read.

The ex-footballer signed a three-year contract with the PFL to create a global professional gateway for new Pakistani footballers who can adapt to the modern form of the game, the handout said.

It added that the English footballer will visit the country in October to conduct a series of football masterclasses and to launch the league’s logo.

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The Liverpool star, often dubbed as the ‘crown jewel’ of the club, was excited to be part of the PFL – Pakistan’s first franchise-based football tournament.

“Pakistan’s football potential is huge and I am excited about identifying untapped talent in a nation of 220 million. I am looking to cross-promote and develop football between UK and Pakistan through the first-ever franchise model league — The PFL,” Owen was quoted as saying.

The GSV CEO Zabe Khan said he was pleased to see the English athlete joining them to chart 'a new era of football for Pakistan.’

“This is a striking partnership to help Pakistan move the goalposts to the international development of football,” he noted.

Besides, another heavyweight, former Manchester United International managing director Mike Farnan, who took the club to the next level from the marketing point of view, has joined the PFL as its chief operating officer.

PFL is going to be Pakistan’s first six-team football tournament. The franchises for Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Islamabad, Peshawar and Multan will be auctioned in October, while the schedule and the kickoff date will also be announced soon, the communique added.