On-loan Arsenal winger Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s mother is reported to have left a foul-mouthed voicemail on Blues boss Mick McCarthy’s phone, leading to her son's recent omission from the Town side.
According to The Sun, the 18-year-old’s mother, Jule Niles was angered by McCarthy preventing the England U19 international from appearing at an England kit launch in March in order to prepare for a Town game.
She called the Blues manager, apparently while abroad, leaving him the lengthy abusive and threatening expletive-packed rant.
McCarthy is said to have left Maitland-Niles out of the squad for Town’s 2-0 home victory over Blackburn as a result.
The youngster hasn’t hasn’t featured for Town since, although he was an unused sub for the subsequent game against Rotherham at Portman Road and was in the 20-man squad for Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Charlton but was left out of the final 18.
McCarthy is said to have been so shocked at receiving the message that he asked members of his staff to listen to it, reportedly "to make sure I'm not going mad".
Arsenal have been made aware and a Gunners source is quoted as saying: "Mick's a Yorkshireman and he's prepared to tolerate most things, but not something like this.
"The language was disgusting and so poisonous that it even shocked Mick. He's only ever tried to do what's right for the kid and protect his career, but this is something new to him.
"He likes the boy and thinks he has potential to be a top player, but he's worried that his mother is having a detrimental affect on his career.”
It’s not the first time Maitland-Niles’s mother has hit the headlines. Last year she was arrested on suspicion of assaulting two people at Arsenal’s training ground, amongst them Arsene Wenger's negotiator Dick Law. She was later released without charge.