Freddie in £4.5m bonanza

Freddie Ljungberg, who admitted his recent terror over a health scare, today received a massive boost with a new £4.5million boot deal.

Ljungberg revealed that he feared he had cancer - and was tested for AIDS - before doctors finally discovered that he was being poisoned by the ink from his own tattoos.

Ljungberg has received the all-clear to play in tomorrow's FA Cup Final against Manchester United and he will make his debut in his new 'Cellerator Zero 5' boot.

Ljungberg, 28, has clinched a huge four-year contract with the sportswear company worth £1.25m a year to wear the boots - although his Puma deal is still dwarfed by the £3m-a-year that David Beckham (adidas) and Thierry Henry (Nike) have signed in recent years and trails behind Michael Owen, Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney's deals.

Arsenal's Swedish midfielder earned £250,000 as a model for Calvin Klein but has revealed that he is currently frustrated by a hold up in new contract talks with the north London club.

Ljungberg has recovered to play in Cardiff tomorrow after having surgery to remove the lymphatic gland in his hip after it became infected by the brightly-coloured inks in his garish tattoos. He said: "I was terrified. Nobody seemed to know what was wrong. I was tested for cancer and AIDS."