Football agent Aidy Ward faces FA investigation over ‘payment to parent’

Graham Chadwick/Daily Mail

The FA have launched an investigation into top football agent Aidy Ward.

Ward, famed for steering Raheem Sterling's career from a teenager to a global icon, is alleged to have made a financial inducement to get an underage player to join his agency.

According to The Times, Ward paid £10,000 to the parent of an England youth player at a London club.

Agents cannot approach players or families until the year the player turns 16.

A spokesman for Ward told The Times the allegations were not accepted. The Evening Standard also approached Ward's agency for comment.

Ward represented Sterling during his move from Liverpool to Manchester City, which made the then-20-year-old the most expensive English player ever in a £49 million move.

He told Standard Sport at the time that Sterling “is definitely not signing [a new Liverpool contract]. He’s not signing for £700, £800, £900 thousand a week. He is not signing.”

Sterling and Ward - who reportedly also represents Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kingsley Coman - are believed to have parted ways at the end of last year.

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