A historic ferry link between the UK and France has been backed by a world cup winning footballer. The route linking Newhaven in East Sussex, and Dieppe in Normandy has been operating for over 150 years, and before the arrival of the Channel Tunnel it was seen as the quickest way to travel from London to Paris by train. Today the route is operated by Danish company DFDS, and is still popular with people travelling to France, with its connections to Paris and central France making it a great alternative to Calais. In a move to promote the versatility of the route, DFDS and the local French region of Seine – Maritime have recruited the world cup winning former footballer Emmanuel Pettit to their cause. Former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea midfield star Pettit (52) was born and grew up in Dieppe, and still has family and friends in the area. Pettit said “I am delighted to be able to help promote the town of Dieppe and the ferry route to Newhaven. I grew up in Dieppe, and when I played football in London for Arsenal and Chelsea, my family and I used to use the ferries to Newhaven regularly. Dieppe is a great town, and Seine – Maritime and wider Normandy a fantastic place to come on holiday to, with great beaches, historic attractions and amazing towns and cities. And of course Dieppe is less than 2.5 hours drive from Central Paris, much quicker than Calais.” Pettit is expected to appear in promotional material for the route from May this year.