Bradford City star Lee Sharpe has told the High Court he gives £30,000 a year to a former male model because he is a friend.

The former England international, who signed for City last summer after a successful loan spell, was giving evidence at the High Court in London.

Mr Sharpe's friend, Mark Russell, 35, is suing a leading Harley Street clinic and a surgeon for £2 million, claiming his good looks and career were ruined by liposuction.

The footballer, godfather to Mr Russell's daughter, told the court: "He is a mate and I will look after him and give it to him while he needs it."

Mr Sharpe, in the squad for City's crunch derby clash with his former team Leeds United on Sunday, said he gave his friend money to compete in golf tournaments on the understanding that they would "look after each other" if Mr Russell was successful.

When Mr Justice Wright commented that Mr Russell had yet to achieve the success he had hoped for, Mr Sharpe replied: "Well, not yet."

But he added that he still nurtured hopes of his friend succeeding on the golf course.

And when the City winger was asked by the judge what he was going to do about the substantial sums of money he had given Mr Russell if he didn't make it as a professional golfer, he said: "It has not really crossed my mind."

Mr Russell, 35, originally from Manchester but now living in Leeds, is suing the Harley Medical Centre Limited and Alan Kingdon, who performed cosmetic surgery on him in 1989. They both deny liability.

The court was told that Mr Russell had planned to move in with his footballing friend when he decided to live in West Yorkshire.

But Mr Sharpe said: "When I put it to the girlfriend she wasn't overly keen. The girlfriend is no longer, but that is by the by."

Mr Russell left his job as a labourer in an abattoir for full-time modelling and six months later saw an advertisement in Vogue for cosmetic surgery.

He had liposuction on his face in January 1989 to achieve a more angular appearance.

But he said he had now developed hollows in either side of his nose, mouth and chin and his jawbone had been placed out of alignment.

Mr Russell, who has worked as a golf instructor and is currently setting up a cleaning business with cash help from Mr Sharpe, claims his modelling jobs dried up as a result.

The case continues.

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