A former England youth football team player has been jailed for more than 13 years for his part in a huge drugs conspiracy.

Ex-Liverpool prodigy Jamie Cassidy, 46, was “drawn in” to crime by his older brother Jonathan Cassidy, 50, who styled himself as being like Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, or El Chapo, one of the world’s most infamous traffickers, Manchester Crown Court heard.

The ex-footballer’s brother took a leading role in an international drugs plot, along with a third man, money launderer Nasar Ahmed, 51.

Manchester recorder Judge Nicholas Dean jailed Jamie Cassidy – who previously laced his boots up alongside the likes of Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen as a youth player – for 13 years and three months.

In 1996, the Liverpool side they were part of won the FA Youth Cup, beating a West Ham team including Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard.

Cassidy broke into Liverpool’s senior squad, but injuries meant he left Anfield without playing for the first team.

Paul Greeney KC, defending Cassidy, called him a “footballer of exceptional talent and promise.”

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He said: “At 15, he was leading scorer for England’s under-16s team. The following season he was top scorer in the under-16s England team, with six goals, including three in the European Championships.

“He broke into Liverpool’s first team, but two injuries then entirely wrecked his career.”

All three had been in custody since they were arrested in 2020. Jonathan Cassidy and Ahmed had admitted at an earlier hearing importation of drugs in April and March 2020.

The two, along with Jamie Cassidy, also admitted conspiracy to supply drugs and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

Judge Nicholas Dean, Recorder of Manchester, jailed Jamie Cassidy, for 13 years and three months and Jonathan Cassidy and Ahmed, for 21 years and nine months.

Earlier, Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, told the court that although Jamie Cassidy wasn’t involved in importing the drugs, he still played a “significant role” passing on instructions and acting on the direction of others to ensure operations went smoothly and the drugs were distributed to dealers.

Meanwhile, his older brother played a “leading role” in getting the drugs into the UK, as well as in the buying and selling of class A drugs while Ahmed acted as a middleman and “facilitator”, transferring vast sums of cash to buy and sell on drugs.

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