A masked Al Qaeda terrorist described as a former Arsenal player in an online video has been identified, it was claimed today.
The man, who appeared in the film using a false name, has been identified as a Portuguese citizen, sources have disclosed.
It is believed he had been living in Leyton, east London, but it is unclear whether he had trials with Arsenal or any association with the club.
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A spokesman for the club said: ‘We do not recognise the individual from the published clips and we don’t have any record of this man representing the club at any level.’
False rumours had spread that he was former Premiership football star Lassana Diarra, 29, who played for a number of big name English clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and Portsmouth.
As a result, Mr Diarra was forced to deny claims that he had become an Islamic warrior fighting in Syria, saying he had never set foot in the war-torn country.
The man, whose face is hidden by a balaclava and is seen clutching an AK47 rifle, is identified as Abu Isa al-Andalus.
According to FiSyria.com, the site that posted the video, the man moved to London from his native country to play for Arsenal after growing up alongside a world-famous footballer.
A spokesman for Arsenal say they have no record of a past player with his name
It claims the man was radicalised in the capital two years ago before ‘leaving everything’ to join the Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
He later adds: ‘We have conquered many cities and we are now implementing the Sharia. We have areas where the kaffirs (non-Muslims) are paying us the tax.
‘If we stay in the kaffir countries we have to pay (taxes) to them. Do you want to be humiliated by this? Think about it.
‘If you have family in these (Western) countries it’s a must for you to put your children in the kaffir schools. “Who is going to teach your children?” It’s going to maybe be a gay, maybe a drug dealer, maybe a paedophile.
‘It’s very important for you to protect your children. Allah says they are the worst of creatures.’
The Russian-based website does not confirm the man’s previous identity on the page, which shows two videos each roughly four-minutes long.
