Lineker's fury at agents

Gary Lineker today told of his anger at the "murky" £5 million transfer of a star player.

The Match Of The Day presenter said the sale of Harry Kewell had brought shame to the game he loves.

He branded the player's representative Bernie Mandic "brazen" over his £2 million cut of the £5 million deal.

The former England captain's comments came as he denied libelling the player. Kewell, 26, claims he was shocked and hurt at allegations that he participated in a financially dubious transfer.

Lineker told the High Court that the sale of Kewell from Leeds United to Liverpool clearly contravened FIFA regulations. And in a courtroom exchange, he refused to apologise over his claims in a newspaper article that the deal was "clearly ambiguous and murky".

He said: "At the time I didn't know that Mandic was also representing Liverpool as well as Leeds United and Kewell. Everything I have subsequently learned about it makes it murkier. Rather than apologise I feel vindicated."

He went on: "This is a subject I feel very strongly about. I have seen so many examples of this sort of deal in football over the years and it doesn't do the image of the game any good whatsoever. This is a sport that has been very much part of my life and I care when it comes out badly yet again."

Lineker said players' agents were usually paid five per cent of their clients' earnings or 10 per cent of the transfer fee if they were representing the club.

"It is quite clear Mandic could do one or the other but not both," said Lineker. The court has heard that Mandic, who describes himself as Kewell's manager, was paid five per cent of Kewell's contract, worth £13 million over five years, and also £2 million by Leeds.

Lineker said: "You cannot act in any circumstances for more than one party in a transfer deal."

Kewell's counsel Heather Rogers said that Mr Mandic claimed that most of the £2 million was payment for work his company had done in Australia. Lineker snapped back: "No, the fact remains he got £2million from the transfer." Lineker is being sued over his column in the Sunday Telegraph headlined "Kewell Move Made Me Feel

Ashamed of Game". Lineker said: "The purpose of the article was certainly not to attack Harry Kewell. The purpose was to attack the transfer system and the role of agents in that system."

Lineker described Kewell as "a pawn in the murky deal which was his transfer", adding: "If an agent is walking away with £2million from a transfer, Kewell should have asked questions."

Lineker wrote that Kewell "needs his head examined" if he was happy his agent was making a profit at the player's expense.

Kewell's counsel, Andrew Monson, asked Lineker if he would be happy if someone had accused him of needing his head examined.

Lineker said: "It's been said about me many times, but you don't need to worry about those things."

Lineker and the Sunday Telegraph deny defaming Kewell and claim fair comment. The case continues.