PFA TO ENTER DUNCAN ROW
THE PFA are ready to help settle the bitter dispute between Liverpool and their teenage striker Bobby Duncan. A meeting could take place in the next 48 hours. Liverpool were stunned when they were accused of holding Duncan — cousin of Kop legend Steven Gerrard — at the club against his will and damaging his mental health as a result. In an extraordinary statement first reported by MailOnline on Wednesday, Duncan’s agent made a string of explosive allegations about Liverpool’s treatment of the 18-year-old. Saif Rubie said the club were ‘mentally bullying’ Duncan and also hit out at sporting director Michael Edwards. Duncan, 18, wants to leave and had been told that he could do so, but Liverpool have subsequently rejected all offers for him. Fiorentina and Danish side Nordsjaelland have tried to sign Duncan on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent move. Rubie claimed Duncan had not left his room for four days as a result of the saga, and that the ‘deep mental health issues with all the stress the club has put him under’ forced Duncan to miss Monday’s Under 23s win at Southampton. In response, Liverpool said they were ‘disappointed’ by the allegations which they describe as ‘unfounded’, but vowed to ‘continue our efforts to work privately with the player to find a resolution in the best interests of all involved’. The PFA are now primed to help solve the row between Duncan, his camp and his club.