Ex-Accrington Stanley player jailed after found with hoard of Class A drugs and counterfeit money at Glastonbury

He was arrested on the second day of the festival with 37.1 grams of cocaine and MDMA

Accrington Stanley sacked the player in May, a month before the festival (Getty)

A professional footballer has been jailed after being found in possession of Class A drugs and counterfeit money while at Glastonbury Festival in June.

Former Accrington Stanley player Paddy Lacey, who was sacked by the club in May after testing positive for cocaine, was arrested on the second day of the festival.

Lacey, who has also played for Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City, was found with 20.3 grams of cocaine, 16.8 grams of MDMA and £520 in counterfeit £20 notes.

The 24-year-old was sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing a controlled substance and passing as genuine an item which he knew to be a counterfeit.

Lacey was already banned from football for 14 months by the Football Association after admitting to breaching anti-doping regulations by testing positive for cocaine following Accrington’s match against Hartlepool United in November 2016.

Accrington Stanley chairman Andy Holt said he was ‘shocked’ at the news of Lacey's conviction.

Holt told the Accrington Observer: “It’s a real shame, he was a really promising player for us and I was really disappointed when he tested positive after Hartlepool.

“We gave him his chance in the Football League, he was a tough central midfielder and we really liked him.

“He’s made a big mistake and he’s paying the price. I wish it wasn’t true.

“He had the chance to do really well and it’s sad that he’s thrown that away at such a young age. I do hope it’s the last mistake he makes.”