Everton star's alleged tweet from convicted underworld drug dealer Sam Walker said, "Inbox me a number for you... or your footie career will come to an end"
England star Ross Barkley received a chilling tweet, allegedly from a notorious gangster, which threatened to “end his footie career”.
Detectives are probing the sinister message, which was sent to the Everton star just two months ago.
World Cup hopeful Barkley , 20, and convicted underworld drug dealer Sam Walker, 30, have been in a row over a girl.
The tweet, seen by the Mirror, raged: “Inbox me a number for you, ya little rat!
“You know wot this is about so don’t play stupid or your footie career will come to an end!”
It is understood the pair have clashed because the footballer’s ex-girlfriend started seeing the gangster.
Sources said Walker and Barkley have had “discussions” in recent weeks in Liverpool nightclub Playground – a popular WAG hangout frequented by the likes of Abbey Clancy and Alex Gerrard.
Police confirmed they recently visited Barkley after a call from a “third party” about separate threats towards the footballer but he declined to make a complaint.
Barkley is understood to have told officers he and Walker had a disagreement two years ago over a girl, but there had been no recent row.
But detectives have since become aware of the tweet, which was sent from an account enabled by Walker.
The friction surrounding Barkley’s love life could prove worrying for England boss Roy Hodgson, with the midfielder widely tipped to make the final 23 for Brazil.
Barkley, from Wavertree, Liverpool, has made a total of 45 appearances for Everton , scoring five goals. The star – dubbed the new Paul Gascoigne or Wayne Rooney in some footballing circles – has also been capped for England three times.
Walker, from Garston, Liverpool, has done time for being part of a mob which peddled heroin and crack cocaine.
He served half of his four years and eight months sentence before being released on licence in 2012.
But he had his sentence extended last August when he admitted sending a threatening voicemail to a police officer.
In February last year he was cleared at Sheffield crown court of being involved in a plan to smuggle drugs into Doncaster prison while an inmate there.
In 2008, internet pictures of Walker in prison emerged, which showed him apparently smoking a
.
And despite being behind bars, Walker was registered on social networking site Flirtomatic, where he boasted about his sexual conquests.
A Merseyside Police spokesman confirmed the force “received unsubstantiated information from a third party about alleged threats towards a 20-year-old man in south Liverpool”.
He added: “Officers have visited this member of the public and discussed the information with him. As a result no further police action is required and no formal allegation or complaint has been made.”
Everton declined to comment.
A spokesman for Walker added: “Reports of an incident between Sam Walker and Ross Barkley have been blown out of all proportion.
“Any dispute there may have been between them has now been resolved.”
Source: mirror
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