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      Man City star Phil Foden’s mum nicked for flicking off man’s cap in club – before telling court ‘it’s my party trick’

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      FOOTIE star Phil Foden’s mum was nicked for assault and told police: “I’m like an animal when I’ve been drinking.”Claire Rowlands, 44, also admitted “I was a bit of a bitch” after she raged at officers during a vodka and tequila-fuelled girls’ weekend.
      Phil Foden’s mum nicked for assault after flicking off a man’s cap in a clubCredit: Getty
      Claire hides under her coat as she leaves Llandudno magistrates’ courtCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      She kicked off after bouncers ejected her for a fracas sparked by her “party trick” of flicking off a man’s cap, a court heard.
      Rowlands had been invited to a pal’s caravan for a “respite break” — telling magistrates that her youngest son was severely disabled and needed 24-hour care.
      She necked shots and partied at a sports bar before clashing with the male clubber in Towyn, North Wales, last September.
      After her ejection, she told cops to “f*** off”, was cuffed and spent the night in the cells.
      READ MORE ON PHIL FODEN
      She admitted in an interview: “I kicked off with the police officers. I was a bit of a bitch.”
      The stay-at-home mum added she did not drink often but was “like an animal” when she did.
      At Llandudno magistrates’ court, she was cleared of assault by beating, but fined for being drunk and disorderly.
      Rowlands, wed to Phil Foden Snr, 45, told JPs that looking after her disabled son was “hard work most of the time”.
      Most read in Football
      As a result, two pals had treated her to a weekend in a caravan owned by the aunt of a friend.
      Hours before her September 9 booze-up, England midfielder Phil, 23, came on as a sub for a Euro 2024 qualifier 1-1 draw in Ukraine.
      Rowlands told the court: “The plan was just to go out, have a laugh, let our hair down and enjoy ourselves. We went to the caravan, had a few cans, washed our hair and got all dressed up.”
      She said they went to a bar on the caravan site and “had some fun, doing some karaoke and getting all the old people dancing to Motown”.
      Rowlands said she was drinking vodka and tequila shots and the group moved to Sunny’s in Towyn.
      She told the court: “It was a bit of a sports bar. There were loads of local families. It was quite full.
      “It was a good atmosphere, everyone was chatting and getting on. “We were getting on the karaoke, giving everyone the confidence to sing and just having fun.”
      Phil Foden with his mum Claire and dad Phil SnrCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/BrOHNDrgVS0/?hl=en&img_index=1
      Rowlands said she was drinking vodka and tequila shots and the group moved to Sunny’s in Towyn.Credit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      When the bar closed, the party went upstairs to Bentley’s nightclub, which opened at 10pm.
      Rowlands said: “My friends were speaking to a couple of lads. “There was no animosity, I was drunk and enjoying myself.”
      The court heard that Rowlands was then asked to leave by ­doormen who accused her of assaulting someone.
      Magistrates watched a 30-second CCTV clip from the club which showed Rowlands knocking a baseball cap off Paul Shortman’s head before picking it up off the floor and swinging her arm in a bid to put it back on him.
      Her solicitor Simon Martin said the footage showed her chatting to Mr Shortman at the bar and showed her knocking his cap off by hitting the peak.
      Mr Martin asked her: “What was going through your mind?”
      She replied: “I was just drunk. I was having a bit of fun. I had done it to a lad earlier. It was just a bit of fun, really.”
      Mr Martin asked: “Did you have any intent to harm him?”
      She replied: “No.” Mr Martin said the CCTV showed her walk across the dancefloor and pick up the cap.
      She said: “I was just wanting to put his cap back on.”
      Mr Martin said Mr Shortman ducked and the cap went on the floor again without physical contact.
      Rowlands said: “I was drunk. It was just a bit of fun, a bit of ­banter. I just could not believe it, that I could get into trouble for knocking someone’s cap off. It’s my party trick, knocking someone’s cap off and putting it back on.”
      Cross-examined by prosecutor Rachel Drew she agreed that she had told police in interview that she was “like an animal” when she had been drinking.
      Rowlands told police: “I do not drink often but when I do, I make up for time. I am like an animal.”
      She agreed that she had thought Mr Shortman was one of a group of lads they had been chatting to at the downstairs bar.
      She said: “We were having drinks with different people. We were just chilling. We had been having some fun downstairs, singing Sweet Caroline and jumping around and I knocked this lad’s cap off.”
      Foden’s mum was abusive to officers and a body-worn camera showed her shouting at them to ‘f*** off’ before she was cuffed and arrestedCredit: Getty
      Rowlands disagreed that her actions had been reckless.
      She added: “I did not mean him any harm or to hurt him and you can see that on the video. It was just a bit of banter which has been taken the wrong way.”
      In his closing speech Mr Martin said: “The video speaks for itself. Yes, she knocks his cap off and it goes to the floor. It is not a criminal offence. This is not a case of someone being punched or kicked. You can see it for what it is, a storm in a tea cup.”
      The court heard Mr Shortman had not attended to give evidence.
      Chairman of the magistrates Duncan Campbell said the prosecution had not proved assault.
      He added: “It is clear at the time that you were drunk, fooling around having fun. It is for the prosecution to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and that you intended to use force.
      “It is telling that Mr Shortman has not attended and that your actions were not consensual. Therefore we find you not guilty.”
      Rowlands, of Prestbury, Cheshire, was dealt with separately for being drunk and disorderly outside the club.
      She had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing. For that she was fined £100, with £85 costs and a £40 surcharge.
      PC Stephen Gunning told the court that Rowlands had been “stumbling with her speech slurred and her eyes glazed”.
      She was abusive to officers and a body-worn camera showed her shouting at them to “f*** off” before she was cuffed and arrested.
      Mr Martin said Rowlands had reacted badly to having been thrown out of the nightclub for an assault which she felt she had not committed.
      He said that she “readily accepts that she lost it and is remorseful”.
      Mr Martin said she was a stay-at-home mum with no income and was not in receipt of any benefits.
      Rowlands was given 90 days to pay the £225 in fines and costs.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      She left court with her coat over her head, along with Phil Snr.
      The couple are directors of PWF Management Ltd, named after their son’s initials, Philip Walter Foden.
      SUPS ‘N DOWNS
      PHIL Foden’s proud mum Claire has ­supported his career since his footballing talent was spotted aged four.
      A Manchester City scout was alerted to Foden while he was at Bridge Hall primary in working-class Edgeley, Stockport.
      But life has not all been plain sailing. In May 2021 Claire was caught in a boozy brawl which left a woman with black eyes.
      Katie Skitt needed a tetanus jab after finding bite marks in Stockport.
      In February 2022 Claire clashed with boxing fans after Phil was verbally abused following Kell Brook’s win over Amir Khan.
      Phone footage showed her appearing to push a yob before he swung at her. Another man punched out in her defence.
      Cops investigated and City said the club was appalled by the assault on Claire.
      A month later she and hubby Phil Snr provoked complaints to police over loud music at their £2.85million home. More

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      Kyle Walker cheated on wife Annie and mistress Lauryn Goodman with a mystery model

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      FOOTIE love rat Kyle Walker cheated on his wife and mistress with a third woman — a mystery model.The England ace and soon-to-be dad of six even discussed children with his secret lover.
      Kyle Walker was cheating on his wife Annie Kilner with a third womanCredit: Xposure
      Kyle and Lauryn Goodman had a brief fling in 2019, with Lauryn giving birth to their first child in April 2020Credit: Getty
      Now it’s emerged Kyle was also seeing a mystery woman until September 2021Credit: Getty
      He met her in a club in January 2019 — four months before he briefly split from his wife, Annie Kilner.
      The relationship with the model lasted until September 2021.
      Kyle, 33, and model and influencer Lauryn Goodman also had a brief fling in 2019.
      Lauryn gave birth to her first child with the ace, Kairo, in April 2020.
      read more on Kyle Walker
      Kyle and Annie, 31, were reconciled, wed in 2022 and now have three boys together.
      But Annie and Lauryn were in the dark about the third of Kyle’s hat-trick of bedmates.
      A source said: “As the mask slips, the truth of Kyle’s deception is laid bare.
      “It’s incredible Kyle had any energy left for football.”
      Most read in Football
      Annie announced last week she was separating from Kyle — swiftly followed by the news that he was also the father of a six-month-old girl with Lauryn.
      And it emerged that Annie was pregnant again with her fourth child with the footballer.
      He has moved out of the family home and is renting an £8,000-a-month apartment in nearby Hale, Cheshire. More

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      ‘Top footballer’ fighting costly legal battle with tax chiefs to keep his identity secret set to be named in weeks

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      A HIGH-profile figure fighting a costly legal battle with tax officials in a bid to keep his name secret is thought to be a top footballer.He has spent an estimated £50,000 protecting his anonymity — and probably hundreds of thousands on costs for the whole case.
      A high-profile figure is fighting a costly legal battle with tax bossesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The person in question is thought to be a ‘top footballer’Credit: Getty
      It is not known how much of a potential tax bill he is trying to fight off but it is likely to be hundreds of thousands more.
      But he is set to be named in the next two weeks after High Court judges ruled this month it was “highly unusual” to allow his identity to be concealed.
      Tax experts believe he is a footballer or ex-player because he has apparently been involved in more than once tax avoidance scheme.
      Many aces were advised to invest in such vehicles that HMRC later cracked down on.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      Football stars also often set up companies to receive image rights money, which is then liable for corporation tax at a lower rate than income tax.
      The wrangle began in 2019 when the star appealed to the First Tier Tribunal “tax court” about deductions HMRC denied him for income tax purposes.
      He then applied for anonymity at a hearing in July 2021.
      That September, the FTT said the preliminary proceedings should be heard in secret to protect his private or family life and keep “sensitive information” out of the public domain.
      Most read in Football
      HMRC appealed, arguing that the FTT decision “erred in law”.
      Now High Court Upper Tax Tribunal judges have ruled the star should be named.
      Dan Neidle, founder of think tank Tax Policy Associates, said: “Tax appeals are almost always public, so it is outrageous someone is trying to fight HMRC behind closed doors.
      “And our best guess is it’s a footballer or ex-footballer.” More

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      Footie fans shocked by Balenciaga’s new 1990s-style baggy kits — which cost more than £7,000

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      FOOTIE fans have been left shocked by new 1990s-style baggy kits — which cost more than £7,000.Fashion house Balenciaga’s outfits feature a generic club crest on the top and shorts.
      Socks will cost you £150
      A cool £1,050 for the footie top
      It’s £750 for these baggy shorts
      The pricey gear comes in black, white, red, yellow and pink — mimicking strips of some of the leading Premier League clubs.
      The red is a dead ringer for Liverpool, while the white is strikingly like Tottenham Hotspur.
      The black and pink are similar to the away kits of Crystal Palace and Fulham respectively.
      But buyers are warned the outfit is dry clean only and over-sized, so they should buy a size down.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL KITS
      The jersey, with the number 10 on the back, costs £1,050 and features the names of cities and areas where the collection is being sold including Mayfair and Tokyo.
      Shorts are £750 while a matching tracksuit jacket is £2,190 and trousers are £1,390.
      A cap is £350 while socks are also available for £150.
      A scarf will set you back £450 while trainers come in at £850.
      Most read in Football
      But fans were not impressed. One said: “Premier League clubs are criticised for over-charging fans for their kits but this just takes the biscuit. And it looks ridiculous.
      “I’m not sure you’re going to see too many dads and lads down the park wearing these.
      “You’d need to be fairly well built and about 7ft tall to fill these ones out.”
      In the 1990s baggy kits were fashionable but in recent years skin-tight has become the favoured look.
      You’ll need to part with £2,200 for this jacket
      It’s £450 for the scarf shown here
      Cap it all with this headwear for £350 More

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      Troy Deeney: I was offered mega money to play in Saudi Arabia… but they wouldn’t let me live with my partner and kids

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      JORDAN HENDERSON is taking some serious stick after the end of his brief stint in Saudi Arabia.But I would like to know how many critics would dismiss out of hand the chance to earn a net salary of £20million.
      Jordan Henderson has left Saudi Arabia just six months after arrivingCredit: Getty
      Troy Deeney is due to marry partner Alisha Hosannah this summer but would not have been able to live with her in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty
      I was offered an eye-watering sum last summer to play in the Saudi Pro League — and thought long and hard about it.
      At the age of 35, knowing my playing days were numbered, I received a pay offer which — although not on Hendo’s scale — would have been comfortably the most money I’d ever earned.
      It far exceeded anything I took home captaining Watford in the Premier League.
      It was sorely tempting but I had my own reasons for turning down the move.

      I am not married to my partner — we are due to tie the knot this summer — and under Saudi law, I wouldn’t have been allowed to live in the same house as her and our kids.
      There are no exceptions for professional footballers and, if you agree to go and work in a country, you have to respect their culture and laws.
      My missus and kids would have probably lived in Dubai, while I lived in Saudi.
      I would not have coped well mentally with being away from them for the vast majority of the time — being left to my own devices isn’t good for me.
      Most read in Football
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
      Hendo is married, so wouldn’t have had that dilemma, and a friend and former team-mate in Steven Gerrard was managing his club, Al-Ettifaq.
      Knowing he was no longer fully wanted at Liverpool, it seems Hendo made a rash knee-jerk decision and has now realised even a vast amount of money doesn’t ­necessarily make you happy.
      Henderson might not now earn a penny from his brief time in Saudi after ripping up his contract to join Ajax on a free.
      Like every other player who was offered a deal by the Saudis, he will have been well aware of the tax implications.
      I am not married to my partner — we are due to tie the knot this summer — and under Saudi law, I wouldn’t have been allowed to live in the same house as her and our kids.Troy Deeney
      That if you did not stay for two years, you’d be absolutely clobbered by the taxman when returning home.
      Had I struggled with the lifestyle as Henderson has done, I would have had to stick it out.
      Apparently a few other players who left the Premier League for Saudi also want to leave — and anyone offered huge amounts to move next summer will think longer and harder about making a similar move.
      Some will still go — it takes a brave man to turn down that sort of money, especially when you are nearing the end of your career.
      He swapped Liverpool for Al-Ettifaq in the summerCredit: Reuters
      Don’t fall into the trap of believing every Premier League player is seriously minted and financially set up for life.
      Many have had serious gambling problems, or made bad financial investments or had expensive divorces.
      Players might also be tempted to play against Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar — I know I liked the sound of that challenge — and to help grow an emerging league.
      Until you go and live in another country, with a very different way of life, it’s impossible to know whether you can handle it.
      I don’t know which club in the Saudi top flight I would have been playing for.
      I was made an offer by Michael Emenalo — the former Chelsea executive who is now sporting director of the Saudi Pro League — and if I had agreed, I would then have been allocated a club.
      I know some of the crowds in Saudi are very low but that wasn’t a consideration for me.
      For Henderson, it might have been. He could not have got anything like the same buzz playing for Al-Ettifaq, where the average gate is 8,000, as in front of a full house at Anfield.
      Don’t fall into the trap of believing every Premier League player is seriously minted and financially set up for life.Troy Deeney
      He is now joining Ajax — a massive club suffering a difficult season — and knows that he still has plenty to give.
      It will also help his chances of playing for England at the Euros next summer.
      If I am honest, I didn’t seriously consider human-rights issues when I thought about moving to Saudi.
      But for Henderson, this must have been a real issue because he had been such an outspoken advocate of LGBTQ rights and was moving to a country where homosexuality is illegal.
      I agree with Hendo’s views but because I didn’t have that same background in campaigning, I wouldn’t have received nearly as much stick.
      Hendo knew he’d be nailed to a cross for making his move to Saudi and I’m sure he accepts some of the criticism.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      I know him well from being a fellow Premier League captain — especially during the pandemic. He is a really good man.
      Just because he has made one bad decision in life doesn’t mean everything he said or did previously was a lie.
      Henderson joined Dutch side Ajax this weekCredit: EPA More

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      I feel used by Forest Green… they sacked me before I even received my first payslip as a manager, says Troy Deeney

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      TROY DEENEY was sacked from his first job in management before he even received his first payslip.After just six matches in charge of League Two’s bottom club, Forest Green Rovers, the former Watford captain was told he was being relieved of his duties.
      Troy Deeney was sacked by Forest Green before receiving his first payslip as managerCredit: Rex
      The former Watford striker left Forest Green on ThursdayCredit: Rex
      The morning after his shock dismissal, Deeney said: “They told me it was because of results but I have trouble believing that.
      “I feel to a certain extent I have been used for my contacts and pulling power.
      “We had brought in five players in this window, most of whom would not have dropped down to the bottom of League Two if it wasn’t for me — including Maxi Oyedele, on loan from Manchester United.
      “Four weeks ago, I was the solution. Now I’m told I’m the problem.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “The club knew the type of character I was, someone that had been in the dressing room and knew changes needed to be made if the club was going to grow and gain improved results on the pitch.
      “When you’re taking over a club in the middle of a season and it is rock bottom of the league you can’t take your time and go easy. Hard words needed to be spoken and I felt that we were about to turn a corner with results.
      “Was I the problem? Or is it the club that is about to appoint its ninth manager in less than three years?
      “I was expected to turn around the fortunes of a failing club in less than a month. I hadn’t even received my first payslip as a manager when they told me they were getting rid of me.”
      Most read in Football
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
      Deeney is an outspoken, passionate man. What you see is what you get.
      He had been at Forest Green for four months, as a player-coach to previous boss David Horseman. So owner Dale Vince knew what he was getting when he appointed Deeney as boss on December 20.
      The former Premier League centre-forward verbally savaged his own players following last Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by Harrogate, claiming there were ‘too many babies’ at the club.
      The previous day he had sent midfielder Reece Brown home after he  frequently turned up late for training.
      And hours before his sacking, he was hit with a four-match FA touchline ban for misconduct when he was sent from the dugout  during a controversial 2-1 loss to Swindon on December 29.
      Deeney said: “The comments I made about the players in the media last weekend should never have left the dressing room and I apologised to them for that on Monday.
      “That was a mistake which will not be repeated and a lesson learned for when I go back into management — and I do want to go back.
      “Four weeks ago, I was the solution. Now I’m told I’m the problem.”Troy Deeney
      “The ironic thing is that I felt those comments had helped to raise standards and focus minds. The team had trained really well all week, people had stopped turning up late.
      “People have tried to make out I had some personal issue with Reece Brown — it’s not true, I’ve known him since he was at Birmingham, he’s a good player.
      “But the idea that a manager might want his men to turn up for work on time and give 100 per cent, is that really so outrageous?”
      As for his touchline ban, Deeney said: “I don’t know if that contributed to the decision. I attended a disciplinary hearing where I was commended for my conduct and I plead guilty to those aspects that were true.
      “I admitted I called the linesman a ‘weasel’ and maybe I used that word in a different context to how it was interpreted but I shouldn’t have said it.
      “Still, I can’t believe this decision was made on results after only six games.”
      Rovers drew three of those six matches, and lost the others — two of them through serious misfortune. While football is an infamously impatient ‘results business’, it would have been an extraordinarily short period of time to sack a boss purely on results.
      Deeney was having dinner with his backroom staff when he was called at 6.20pm on Thursday and asked to return to the stadium, to speak to director of football Allan Steele.
      He said: “I wanted to get the staff together and it had been an enjoyable meal, everyone was in good spirits and then I got the call. I just felt embarrassed when I left the restaurant.
      Deeney has admitted he feels used by Forest GreenCredit: Rob Noyes
      Deeney drew three of his six matches as manager of the League Two sideCredit: Getty
      “I asked why they wanted me to come in and was told ‘we have decided to go in another direction’. Then I was told it was a decision based on results.”
      Owner Vince has not spoken to Deeney directly about his decision.
      And Deeney said: “The whole thing has been done without any class. I don’t feel bitter. I feel more hurt for my assistant David ‘Ned’ Kelly, who has also left the club, than I do for myself.
      “The idea that a manager might want his men to turn up for work on time and give 100 per cent, is that really so outrageous?”Troy Deeney
      “I even feel an element of relief this morning. I wish them well. They have a squad of players which should not be anywhere near the bottom of League Two, especially with the new players I brought in.
      “There is a losing mentality which Ned and I had been trying to reverse and I feel many of the things we put in place will benefit the team going forward.
      “But whoever the next manager is, he had better get things right in three weeks or less.”
      What next, then, for 35-year-old Deeney — who only played his most recent match last month?  He said: “I won’t deny that this hurts but I have never been one to shrink from a challenge.
      “It has taught me to be more selective about jobs and roles I take but I’m highly motivated and will regroup and go again.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “One thing my career has taught me is that you grow way more from adversity and I’ll learn from this and get stronger and will be successful in my management career.
      “One thing’s for sure, I never give up.” More

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      Manchester United on hunt for food safety officer after serving 30 guests raw chicken

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      MANCHESTER United are on the hunt for a food safety officer just weeks after 30 guests were served raw chicken at Old Trafford.The club was handed a 1 out of 5 food rating after dozens consumed food not fit for human consumption at an event on November 21 last year.
      Manchester United are on the hunt for a food safety officer after serving 30 guests raw chickenCredit: Getty
      The dangerous food was served after 300 pieces of chicken were cooked for the event, but only three trays – each of which had around 15 pieces of chicken – were probed to check they were cooked properly.
      That meant 17 trays containing around 255 pieces of chicken – were not checked and the temperature was not recorded as required before they were served.
      United, which described it as an “isolated incident”, is now trying to hire a food safety officer on a 12-month contract.
      The job ad states the successful candidate will be expected to “elevate the standards and exceed expectations in a bustling department”.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      It adds: “Your role goes beyond routine tasks – you’ll be a crucial player in ensuring the safety and excellence of our culinary offerings during high-profile conference events and lively match day business.”
      Responding to the club’s food hygiene rating being downgraded in December, a spokesperson said: “Manchester United has one of the largest and most experienced food and beverage operations in world sport, with more than 250,000 people dining at the stadium restaurants and over 300 external events successfully delivered each year.
      “Everyone at the club is determined to regain our 5-star food hygiene status as quickly as possible.
      “To support that objective, we are conducting an independent food audit to identify any further opportunities for improvement.”
      Most read in Football More

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      Jordan Henderson quitting Saudi soccer doesn’t surprise me — I sat in empty stadiums in 40C heat and was bored to tears

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      DRENCHED with sweat, Jordan Henderson looked utterly exhausted as he trudged to the touchline to grab yet another swig from a water bottle.The England international and former Liverpool captain seemed out on his feet after giving his all as he has done countless times for club and country.
      Jordan Henderson seemed out of his feet playing for Saudi minnows Al-EttifaqCredit: Getty
      The Sun’s Chief Foreign Correspondent Nick Parker shares his thoughts on why Saudi football is so off-puttingCredit: Ian Whittaker – Commissioned by The Sun
      But this was not a World Cup epic watched by millions — rather the harsh reality of Henderson’s debut, in 35C heat, for Saudi Arabian Pro League minnows Al-Ettifaq.
      It was not yet half time when Henderson — who with Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019, the Premier League the next year and the FA Cup in 2022 — took his fourth water break in a ramshackle, half-full stadium unfit for even an English League One tie.
      The midfielder was playing in front of just 13,000 fans, under new club coach and fellow former Liverpool and England star Steven Gerrard last August — and even then the writing was on the wall for all to see.
      Now, with Henderson tonight signing off a move to Dutch giants Ajax, after just six months in Saudi, he is the first of a host of crazy-money signings from the Premier League and other European top-flights who are expected to quit the desert kingdom.
      READ MORE BEAUTIFUL GAME
      A source told me: “Jordan knows he has made a terrible mistake and stands to lose a lot of money.
      “But he can’t face another day in Saudi. He has found the heat intolerable and the quality of the football is, frankly, beneath his talents and won’t keep him in the England reckoning.”
      I feel his pain. Watching his debut in Saudi was one of the weirdest experiences of my 35 years covering football games for The Sun.
      Ahead of the 9pm kick-off, daytime temperatures had topped 40C but the real killer was stifling 60 per cent humidity.
      Most read in Football
      I was soaked in sweat two minutes after stepping out of my taxi — and I was just a spectator.
      Even locals accustomed to the heat were tearing up cardboard boxes to create makeshift fans as play began.
      Having experienced the World Cup glitz in neighbouring Qatar just months earlier, my arrival at the new Saudi home of two Liverpool legends was a shock.
      The Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Stadium was built in 1973 and needs more than a lick of paint — it needs air-con.
      It seats 26,000 but was only half full, despite the pre-match promise of Cristiano Ronaldo and former Liverpool striker Sadio Mane lining up for the opponents Al-Nassr.
      The drabness of Al-Ettifaq’s laboured 2-1 victory, and former Manchester United favourite Ronaldo failing to show for the game, was only made worse by the multi-use stadium’s running track keeping fans remote from the action.
      The star signings on show must have been baffled by the tiny Saudi fan base.
      Women in burkas, men in Arab robes and others in jeans and T-shirts watched from the sweltering stands, where swathes of faded blue plastic seats lay empty.
      A repeat of this when Saudi Arabia hosts the 2034 World Cup would be a disaster — fear of which could lead to a temporary lifting of the Gulf state’s booze ban, to woo more fans.
      But it is not just the heat, and tiny crowds, triggering the footballers’ exodus from Saudi.
      The Islamic kingdom’s strict cultural code is also to blame for this.
      Boozing is banned and punishable by flogging, while players’ Wags are not legally allowed out in public alone — and women in Saudi have only been allowed to drive since 2018.
      Henderson, 33, more than tripled his Liverpool salary, to a reported £700,000 a week, when he moved to Saudi last summer in the twilight of his career.
      Gerrard, 43, landed a £15.2million-a-year deal — after he was axed as Aston Villa boss then ignored by even Championship clubs.
      But the fanfare around the pair’s unveiling at the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Stadium looked staged, fake and doomed.
      The sweltering heat, as well as extremely strict cultural codes, have left Saudi stadiums full of empty seats during gamesCredit: Ian Whittaker – Commissioned by The Sun
      The fanfare around Steven Gerrard’s £15.2m deal with Al-Ettifaq looked staged, fake and doomedCredit: Reuters
      Within weeks, Henderson — used to playing before 50,000-strong crowds at Anfield and on glittering World Cup stages — turned out in front of just 610 fans for one Al-Ettifaq game.
      The unhappy playmaker is now bailing out to Ajax.
      He was so desperate quit joyless Saudi that he has reportedly agreed to a 75 per cent pay cut to move to Amsterdam.
      He played just 19 times for former Reds team-mate Gerrard and has now torn up his three-year contract with the club and walked out of an Al-Ettifaq training camp in Dubai.
      His Saudi wages would have been tax-free had he stayed for two years.
      But he faces a £7million tax bill if he returns to the UK, thanks to HMRC rules and having spent less than a year working abroad.
      He is far from alone in wanting out, though.
      My source added: “A lot of top players brought in at huge expense from the Premier League and Europe feel the same — and Jordan won’t be the first to leave.”
      Al-Nassr signing Cristiano Ronaldo, 38, was the first megastar to move to Saudi two years ago on a ridiculous £3.4million a week.
      He was followed by Brazil showman Neymar, 31, who joined Al-Hilal on £2.5million a week, from French club PSG.
      Cristiano Ronaldo was the first megastar to move to Saudi, on a ridiculous £3.4m a weekCredit: Instagram @cristiano
      Ronaldo was soon followed by Brazilian showman NeymarCredit: Getty
      The preening ex-Barcelona striker also demanded three supercars for himself, four Mercedes G Wagons for his entourage, a Mercedes van with a driver on 24-hour standby, and an army of staff.
      Other imports have included Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitro-vic, Wolves’ Ruben Neves and former Celtic winger Jota.
      But with the January transfer window now open, many are fed up and desperate to turn tail.
      Firmino is being linked to Fulham, Jota to Tottenham and Benzema to Chelsea.
      Meanwhile legendary Liverpool goal machine Robbie Fowler’s spell as boss of a Saudi second-tier club has ended after four months, following an apparent spat with management.
      Ex-England ace Fowler, 48, was inexplicably axed despite the club being on a winning run.
      He is believed to have received a large severance payout and has not spoken about his exit, which came weeks before Henderson blew the whistle on Al-Ettifaq.
      Henderson’s game in front of 610 fans was the fifth-lowest attendance of the flop Pro League this season, the tiniest being 257, and comes despite the billions invested by the Saudi government in a brazen bid to “sportswash” its appalling human rights record.
      But the sheikhs lavishing oil wealth on the lacklustre league are unlikely to be put off after greedy Fifa chiefs gifted them the 2034 World Cup.
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      A Saudi soccer source said: “Players will come and go but Saudi Arabians love football and we are in for the long haul.
      “We have the resources and will do what it takes to make our league and World Cup a great success.” More