Striker’s shoe fetish caused rifts at Emirates

The private beef which caused Emmanuel Adebayor to moonwalk over Robin van Persie’s face a fortnight ago has been revealed to be the same reason he fell out with Nicklas Bendtner last season - an unhealthy shoe obsession.

According to the News of the World, following Arsenal’s final day win against Stoke last season, Emmanuel knee-slid into the Gunners’ dressing room with an extra-strength bin liner and (as one club rep put it) ’swept the place’, bagging as much of his team-mates’ kit as would fit - including a pair of boots Robin van Persie had planned to give to friends - before hauling ass.

A member of the Arsenal backroom staff was left break the news to the players:

“We never saw him - or the boots - again. Robin was going mad.

Despite it not being his client’s strongest suit, Ade’s agent tried to put a humanitarian face on things:

“A lot of African players take kit back to their country because the facilities and conditions in Africa are not the same as they are in England.

How on Earth can the Champions League final continue?

As The Spoiler surveyed the front page of the nation’s favourite daily newspaper this morning, we almost dropped our monocle into our corn flakes, such was the astonishment created by the news that Wayne Rooney’s boots have been stolen ahead of tonight’s Champions League final:

“Rooney’s sponsors Nike had flown in a specially-made pair of T90 laser boots for the striker to wear. But the England star, 23, was stunned when told a thief had intercepted the delivery.

“Roo had planned to wear the boots in training yesterday, but instead was forced to use an old pair.”

Using an old pair of boots during training? What a disgusting abuse of Rooney’s right to wear boxfresh footwear on a daily basis; he must have been absolutely fuming.

The Sun believe Rooney’s shiny brand new and highly desirable Nike T90 laser boots may have been taken by an opportunist thief or a Barca-based saboteur, but they fail to entertain the notion that this is a completely made up story designed to give publicity for Rooney’s shiny brand new and highly desirable Nike T90 laser boots…

Winger all set for a return to London

Blackburn star David Bentley is convinced that his career in Lancashire is over. According to a Spoiler informant, the player believes he will be earning at crust at Chelsea next season. DB is so convinced of the transfer that he described it as a ‘done deal’.

See also: how Bentley used his bespoke boots to get away from Arsenal

Winger snubs Arsenal’s anti-English policy via bespoke footwear

A thoroughly trustworthy friend of The Spoiler has sent us a tale concerning David Bentley’s unorthodox departure from Arsenal:

When Bentley was at Arsenal, he kept putting in transfer requests which were rejected. He went on loan at Norwich, came back, and the same thing happened again.

By the summer of 2005, he was completely fed up, so had some special boots made. On one was written “English and proud,” and the other, “So I’m never picked.” The next morning at training, he called Arsene Wenger over and showed him.

The next day he was moved on to Blackburn.