Banned player will not be named

A professional footballer has been banned for two years for refusing to take a drugs test, but his identity is being kept secret for fear he may harm himself.

The player, who is not well-known, flatly refused to provide a sample of urine when testers from anti-doping agency UK Sport visited his club.

He was suspended for two years by a Football Association disciplinary commission, and under normal circumstances the governing body would make his name public.

Under the FA’s agreement with UK Sport, however, there is a clause which states the player will not be named if the disciplinary commission determines there is a risk of self-harm.

UK Sport reviewed the FA’s decision not to name him and agreed that there was a risk to the player’s mental and physical health if he were named.

It is only the second time a footballer has been suspended for failing to comply with a drugs test since Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was banned for eight months in 2004.

A year later, Torquay’s Icelandic international goalkeeper Olafur Gottskalksson was banned indefinitely by the FA for refusing to take a drugs test.

After viewing the list of banned substances, he left the club and never returned or played professional football again.