Former Liverpool youngster Bobby Duncan has called out his former agent for ‘jeopardising his career’ by engineering a move away from Anfield in 2019.
Saif Rubie, then representing the highly rated Duncan, went public with accusations that the Liverpool hierarchy had been bullying the young striker, who bagged 23 goals in 26 assists for the Reds’ Under-18 side.
A media storm followed as Duncan, the cousin of Steven Gerrard, ended up swapping Liverpool for Fiorentina, but he’d return to England with Derby one year later and, with just one FA Cup third round appearance to his name, ended up joining Spanish third tier side Real Balompedica Linense earlier this summer.
Recently, Rubie appeared on talkSPORT, where he discussed Duncan’s exit and claimed that he tried to convince the young striker to stay at Anfield – comments which clearly did not sit well with Duncan.
“You and I both know the truth,” Duncan wrote on Twitter. “I didn’t have a decision nor say as you took it upon yourself to jeopardise my career and to turn a local lad away from his boyhood club and leave me and my family to pick up all the pieces.
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“Not once have I spoken upon this [topic] in “4 years” as it’s been my main priority to get my career back on track. But, yet you think you have the right to mention my name on a live radio show. The truth will be told by myself when the time is right.
“I should never have trusted my career in your hands. I have learnt my harsh lesson there. And I just pray you have learnt yours as it could ruin another young boys career. And lastly, just to clarify, there was no advising given as you point blank made your mind up, publicly. And by then, the damage had been done.”
The departure of Duncan from Liverpool was a hugely controversial one as Rubie accused then-sporting director Michael Edwards of bulling the young striker and leaving him in a dangerous mental state.
The Reds always rejected those claims but ultimately agreed to sanction his departure to Fiorentina, and after a few challenging years, Duncan is now looking to rebuild his career in Spain.