Michael Owen, the England striker who earns £110,000 a week at Newcastle United, told a court that he enjoyed free holidays in Dubai at the expense of a businessman he barely knew. The footballer told a jury at Chester Crown Court yesterday that he went on a free holiday arranged by a businessman who is accused of supplying fake sporting memorabilia.

Mr Owen insisted that he had done nothing in return for Faisal Madani, 43, but, asked by counsel whether he would have complied with any request for an autograph, he replied: “If it was one or two, but if it was 50 I would have asked why.”

Earlier Mr Owen, 27, was shown a copy of OK! magazine and picked out the image of the businessman he knew as “the man from Dubai” from a montage of photographs taken at the wedding reception of John Terry. He recalled being surprised at seeing Mr Madani in the company of virtually the whole England team.

The footballer was shown an assortment of shirts, photographs and other items by the prosecution. He confirmed that, in a number of cases, the signature was not his. He told Andrew Thomas, QC, for the prosecution, who showed him a signed photograph of himself alongside Steven Gerrard in Liverpool kit: “I do not think that is my signature.”

He insisted that he had not signed a batch of England captain armbands.

Mr Madani, of Bramhall, Greater Manchester, is accused of supplying fake memorabilia to Graeme Walker, 45, of Connah’s Quay, Deeside, who runs the Sporting Icons store in Chester. Mr Walker denies more than 50 counts of supplying goods in which a false trademark was given. Mr Madani has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of supplying the forgeries. The prosecution has suggested that the defendants were selling worthless items to the public.

During Mr Owen’s evidence Peter Davies, for Mr Madani, could not resist letting the footballer know that he was a Liverpool FC fan. Showing him a picture of Owen and Gerrard at the 2003 Worthington Cup final Mr Davies asked: “Did you beat Manchester United?” “Yes,” replied Mr Owen.

“I just could not resist that,” Mr Davies said.

Michael Owen said that he was introduced to Mr Madani in 2004 at Mellwood, the Liverpool training ground, by Phil Thompson, then the assistant manager of the club. Mr Thompson said that he was a man who knew the “top people” in Dubai. Should he ever go on holiday there, he knew the right people to get into the best hotels. “You might not have to pay for it,” he suggested.

Mr Owen took his family, including his partner, mother and brother-in-law to Dubai in 2004 and returned several times over the years. He did not have to pay for the trips. Mr Davies asked: “It wasn’t just a friendly gesture, was it?”

Mr Owen replied: “I was never asked for anything in return. There were others that he was doing the same thing for.”

The striker told the court that he had been surprised to see Mr Madani at the wedding of John Terry last June. “I did not know he knew lots and lots of players for clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United,” he said.

Mr Owen said that it was usual practice at Liverpool FC for players’ friends and members of staff to request players to sign items of memorabilia. They would be laid out by kitchen staff at Mellwood and left there for a day or two until they had been signed by all the players. He would also sign programmes, footballs and shirts for fans at the training ground.

Mr Gerrard, who was wearing a black sweater, was shown a picture of himself holding up the Champions League Cup in Istanbul in 2005. He agreed with the prosecution that it was not his signature.

The Liverpool captain was asked by a defence barrister whether he recalled being asked by Paul Dalglish, the son of Kenny Dalglish, to dedicate a similar photograph to Prince Rashid, the Crown Prince of Dubai. Mr Gerrard said that he had been having a meal in Manchester and Mr Daglish Jr had come to the restaurant, but he could not recall Mr Madanibeing there.

Asked by Mr Thomas whether it was possible that he had signed a stack of photographs on that occasion, Mr Gerrard replied: “No.”

The trial continues.

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