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Ex-England wonderkid who never made it had bodyguard to prevent sneaky dealings

A new wonderkid emerges every year in football, but former Premier League star Scott Minto recalled one of his ex-team-mates who was even given his own protective bodyguard but they went on to flop

[LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 03: A general view inside the stadium as players from both teams inspect the pitch prior to the 2019/20 Buildbase FA Trophy Final between Concord Rangers and Harrogate Town at Wembley Stadium on May 03, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matt Lewis - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)]

The ex-England prodigy who was tipped for some big days at Wembley with the national side needed a bodyguard to keep him away from agents when he was young

A former team-mate of ex-Chelsea and West Ham defender Scott Minto was regularly protected from agents and scouts by his own personal bodyguard all because of his huge potential.

During his time at Stamford Bridge, Upton Park, and an interlude with Benfica, Minto witnessed many hopefuls fall short of the Premier League. Among them was Rod Thomas, a one-time Watford hotshot whose career later meandered through Carlisle United, Chester City, and Brighton & Hove Albion, never quite living up to the hype.

When he was a schoolboy, he was considered to be one of the finest strikers in his age-group. The Hornets were so convinced of his talent, they hired his own bodyguard to ensure no club tried to tap him up after matches.

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While speaking to Ladbrokes' 'Gaffer of all Accas' event, Minto said: "Once you reach a certain level, such as the under-21s for England, you're pretty confident that you're going to have a decent career. I know that's not always the case.

"But with that in mind, it's difficult to really pick someone out who I'd say I was surprised by, for not going on to have a bigger or better career. I can't think of anyone who I thought 'Do you know what? He's going to absolutely smash it' and then didn't.

"I'd have to go a little bit further back in my career for that. I remember when I was about 15, there were two lads in particular who played for England schoolboys.

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[Rod Thomas of Brighton and Hove Albion in action during the Nationwide League Division Three match against Kidderminster Harriers at the Withdean Stadium in Brighton, England. Kidderminster Harriers won the match 2-0]

Thomas fell short of the lofty expectations latched onto him as a youngster(Image: Mike Hewitt/Allsport)

"One was called Rod Thomas, a small centre-forward at the time, and the other was a lad called Shaun Murray. He was captain of the England schoolboys, and Rod Thomas was seen as the best centre-forward in the country, for his age.

"Rod used to have a Watford scout-slash-bodyguard around him all the time, whenever he played, to make sure that other scouts didn't try to tap him up! They went on to become professional footballers, I'm sure.

"But I think so many people expected them both to go right to the top of the game, and for some reason or another, things just didn't turn out that way."

[Sky Sports Television presenter Scott Minto during the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City and Sheffield United at KCOM Stadium on February 23, 2018 in Hull, England]

Minto played with many top players over the course of his career(Image: Getty Images)

Thomas scored five times in 84 appearances for Watford from 1988 to 1993, reports the Mirror. After a loan to Gillingham, he transferred to Carlisle, playing 146 games and scoring 16 goals.

He later had a short spell at Chester City (1997-1998) before ending his career at Brighton and Hove Albion. Meanwhile, Murray, also highlighted by Minto, moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Portsmouth in 1989 for a hefty 100,000 fee.

However, he only managed 34 appearances for Pompey before leaving in 1993 to join Scarborough. He also had stints at Bradford City and Notts County, before finally hanging up his boots at Kettering Town in 2003.

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