Angling Direct non-executive chair Andy Torrance commented: “Neil brings extensive public markets and retail experience from his time at French Connection and his insights will be invaluable as we continue to execute our medium-term strategy. His expertise will provide strong support to the executive team as they drive the company forward.”

“I am delighted to be joining this very successful company at an important point in its development and look forward to using my past experience to help the excellent management team drive the business to the next level over the coming years.”

The appointment comes just after Angling Direct revealed that its revenue had grown by 11.9% to £91.3m for the year ending 31 January 2025.