BBC SPORT | Footballer in drugs inquiry

A professional footballer has tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone - the first case of its kind in English football.

The Football Association has confirmed it is currently investigating the case but will not reveal the name of the player, his nationality or which division he plays in.

It is believed, however, that he is from a Nationwide League club.

The test is positive but it could be positive because of other treatments being taken

PFA boss Gordon Taylor

The positive test, which happened in the last three months, was revealed in UK Sport's quarterly anti-doping report.

Nandrolone has caused controversy in the past with a string of high-profile sports stars testing positive for the substance, which is found naturally in the body in minute amounts.

In football, Jaap Stam, Frank de Boer, Edgar Davids, Fernando Couto and Josep Guardiola have all received bans after testing positive for nandrolone.

Players' union boss Gordon Taylor said the footballer in question had been receiving medical treatment which could have affected the test.

And Taylor expressed his surprise that the failed test had been made public before the full circumstances had been established.

Jaap Stam
Stam received a five-month ban for failing a drugs test

"The test is positive but it could be positive because of other treatments being taken. It's not always taken to enhance performance," he said.

"It's ironic because this season with all the problems in Europe, particularly with the Dutch international team, we've put out warnings and circulars to all our members.

"There's a lot of these products on the market now, muscle-building stuff, a lot from America where they don't clearly indicate the ingredients, and that's why we're asking all players to double-check."

Professional Footballers Association boss Taylor admitted, however, that it would be "naive" to believe that football can stay ahead of drugs cheats.

"We've had testing now since 1978 and random tests at training grounds and matches," he added.

"We have every faith in the testing. We aim to test every player at least twice randomly in a season.

"It is naive to think football and sport would stay ahead of anybody who wanted to get an added edge. Athletes and sportsmen are always looking for an edge."

Jockeys in drugs report

Overall, UK Sport's figures revealed the proportion of positive drugs tests in British sport was falling.

Key findings:

UK Sport carried out 4116 tests in the period April-September 2002, of which 57 were reported for further investigation.
Of those 4116 tests, 1142 were conducted out of competition.
978 tests were carried out at the Commonwealth Games, the largest ever testing programme by a national anti-doping agency.
No athlete tested positive for EPO at the Commonwealth Games.


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