Former England football star Stuart Pearce fears he was exposed to cancer-causing asbestos when he worked as a trainee electrician for Brent Council.
The 52-year-old, who was sacked as manager of Nottingham Forest on Sunday (February 1), worries he came into contact with the potentially-deadly material before becoming a professional footballer.
Mr Pearce, who famously missed a spot kick in the 1990 World Cup semi-final shoot-out, only to redeem himself in Euro '96, was a trainee apprentice for the council in the early 1980s.
The Nottingham Forest legend, who has also managed Manchester City, spent four years re-wiring homes, schools and factories before turning pro at 21.
But he was never told about asbestos, then common in buildings, which can cause incurable mesothelioma.
He said: “The chances I worked with asbestos while an apprentice are high.
“We were briefed on safety hats and boots but I don’t recall asbestos mentioned once. It’s chilling to think of the risks we were exposed to.
“Sending workers into a building with asbestos without warning of the dangers was asking for trouble.”
He is now backing the Health and Safety Executive campaign Every Job Beware Asbestos.
Brent Council offered no comment when contacted by getwestlondon.
