Phil steps in to save young fans
FORMER Manchester United star Phil Bardsley has been praised by his TV star wife for plucking three children from the crowd when trouble erupted at West Ham’s ground on Saturday.
The Salford-born full-back, now at Burnley, invited three young Hammers fans on to the substitutes’ bench when the atmosphere turned ugly at the London Stadium.
The 32-year-old stepped in during Burnley’s 3-0 win when there were four pitch invasions and a group of home fans vented their anger towards the directors’ box. The club’s joint-owner David Sullivan was hit by a coin.
Following the trouble, Bardsley’s wife Tanya, who stars in The Real Housewives of Cheshire, posted a picture on her Instagram account which showed her husband sitting beside three young fans on the subs’ bench during the troubled match.
She wrote: “The hubby @phil_ bardsley2 putting kids on the bench with him to escape the fighting at West Ham has melted my heart.”
Salford-born Phil started his career at United before taking his career to others clubs including his latest, Burnley.
West Ham were not immediately available to comment, but club legend Sir Trevor Brooking appealed for fans to shelve their concerns until the end of the season.
The Football Association is investigating.