A TALENTED footballer once on the books of Worcester City has been jailed for drug dealing.

Student Ricardo Newell was jailed for 32 months at Worcester Crown Court after he admitted getting involved in street dealing heroin and cocaine, to help his family out of financial difficulties.

Alex Warren, prosecuting, said police arrested Newell on suspicion of having drugs with him when he left a coffee shop in Bromsgrove town centre at around 11am on March 26.

He had individual wraps totalling 1.8 grams of cocaine worth a total of £280 and 0.8 grams of heroin worth £90. He also had three mobile phones, one of them with text messages relating to drug dealing, Mr Warren said.

Newell, of Wheeler Street, Birmingham, admitted three charges of having Class A drugs with intent to supply.

Michael Grey, defending, said the 22-year-old had a "great passion" for football and had been with Worcester City and Tamworth. He also did voluntary sessions at a football centre in Birmingham.

He was not a drug user himself and got involved because he was a student at a London business school and had no money. His mother was facing eviction because she couldn't pay her rent, and his partner was pregnant.

"He stupidly fell in with it and was given drugs to sell to established users," Mr Grey said.

"He does not fit the picture of the usual drug dealers."

Judge Abbas Mithani QC said Newell was a "talented" sportsman but he had understood the dangers of drug dealing and willingly got involved.

"You are not the type of drug dealer these courts unfortunately see time and time again but it is still drug dealing," he told Newell.

He was jailed for 32 months on each charge to run concurrently.