A former teammate of Manchester United star Wayne Rooney has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after accepting bribes of around £12m during his career
17:38, 13 Dec 2024Updated 17:38, 13 Dec 2024
An ex-teammate of Wayne Rooney has been arrested
An ex-teammate of Wayne Rooney has been arrested(Image: PA)
Wayne Rooney's former Premier League teammate has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being involved in bribes during his football career.
Li Tie is a former Chinese footballer who spent four years at Everton. During his playing days in Merseyside, he featured alongside Rooney as the England legend was just starting his footballing journey.
The Chinese international was a key starting player for David Moyes when he was first loaned out to Goodison Park from Chinese side Liaoning FC. But after a promising first season, injuries, including a broken leg, hindered his progression in England.
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Now it has emerged that Li committed bribery during his football career, including match fixing. An investigation into his conduct between the years 2016 and 2021 was launched by the Communist party.
The former Everton player pleaded guilty earlier this year to giving and taking over £12m in bribes. Now 47, he will spend a large portion of his later years behind bars as punishment. He was sentenced by a Chinese court.
Li is now facing 20 years in prison due to bribery
Li is now facing 20 years in prison due to bribery(Image: PA)
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Li said in a documentary released in China: "I'm very sorry. I should have kept my head to the ground and followed the right path. There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football."
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After Li retired from professional football, he went into football management. He eventually climbed his way to becoming the manager of China in 2020. However, it is claimed that he offered a bribe to secure his role within the national team.
Li isn't the first figure in Chinese football to be sentenced to time behind bars for bribery.
Chen Xuyuan, the former president of the Chinese FA, was sentenced to life in prison following his own bribery charges in March. He was reported to have received around £8.9m in bribes.