Former England youth team footballer RAIDED betting shops after racking up gambling debts – Express.co.uk

Nathan Ashton, 29, who played premiership football on the wing for Fulham before moving to Crystal Palace and Charlton, targeted betting shops across London and the South East.

Along with former Scottish Premier League player Ohmar Pike, the pair netted nearly £15,000 from eight raids.

In one raid, a cashier “fell to his knees and had a panic attack and begged for his life”, a court heard.

A robber then put a gun to the back of his head and said: “I’m going to blow your head off, if you don’t open the safe.”

Ashton, who made 20 appearances for England teams from under-16 to under-19 level, developed a gambling habit as a footballer.