Sky Sports dragged into bizarre row over Sturridge lost dog

SKY SPORTS face being dragged into the bizarre court case involving Daniel Sturridge and a rapper who claims the pundit owes him a $30,000 reward. In December 2021, a Los Angeles court ordered Sturridge to pay the five-figure reward to Foster Washington — known as Killa Fame — who said he found his lost pomeranian Lucci in 2019. However, the American alleges he never received the money and, as revealed by Mail Sport last month, an arrest warrant was issued for Sturridge after he failed to attend a September hearing over the long-running dispute.

The ex-England striker then claimed the letter informing him of the hearing had been sent to an old address, but that he had now instructed lawyers ‘to put an end to the speculative claim for good’. It is understood the matter has still not been resolved a month on, and Washington’s lawyer is now seeking to serve Sky Sports — who Sturridge worked for on this week’s Monday Night Football — with a ‘third-party subpoena’. That would bring the company into court to answer questions about what money they might owe Sturridge, which they could then be ordered to pay Washington instead.

‘I have filed a request with the court to allow me to serve a third-party subpoena,’ Thomas Scully, representing Washington, told Mail Sport. ‘If Daniel Sturridge is employed by somebody or has a contract with somebody who is going to owe him money or is holding money for him, I have a right to question that person and try to collect that way.’ Scully added: ‘Daniel Sturridge is more concerned about his public appearance than about actually resolving this.’ Sturridge is next due in court on November 30 and Joseph Leventhal, his California-based lawyer, told Mail Sport: ‘We look forward to making our case with the judge.’