The Kop star who became international drug kingpin

Јamie Cassidy had the world at his feet as a 12-year-old, tipped to line up with the future stars of Liverpool FC and England.

- HOLLIE BONE

He was destined to shine in football's biggest stadiums alongside legendary team-mates such as Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen.

But following a spate of serious injuries he turned to a life of crime.

Now 46, he faces life in prison after admitting his role in a multi-million-pound drugs operation, which shipped industrial amounts of cocaine from South America into Europe.

Led by his older brother Jonathan Cassidy, 50, the racket transported hundreds of kilograms of drugs into Liverpool, a court has heard.

The consignments were hidden in modified vehicles and came via Amsterdam from Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia.

Once the cocaine landed in Merseyside, it was Jamie's job to distribute it across England and Scotland through a network of trusted couriers.

Richard Wright, KC, prosecuting said Jamie played an operational and managerial role in the cocaine importation business run by his brother, and Jonathan's business partner Nasar Ahmed, 51.

The foul play capped a shocking descent into criminality by the former prodigy, who aged 12 was accepted into the Liverpool FC academy alongside Carragher and Owen.

In his 2008 autobiography, Carragher said his old pal "would have been a certain Liverpool regular if he hadn't suffered so much with injuries".