Woods spent 10 years as studio manager at Manchester United Merchandising and the move sees him team up with another former Red, Nigel Daws, who founded Pixel8 in 1999 after five years at United's merchandising operation.

Daws said: “Al’s meticulous understanding of branding brings yet another strong player to the Pixel8 team, as we continue to grow our client base of bluechips and SMEs.”

In his previous role, Woods designed the Manchester United style guide that was used to direct more than 50 licensees of the club's products including mugs, scarves, t-shirts and collectables.

He also art directed the Manchester United Premier Cup events, the largest under-15s football tournament in the world.