Ashley Cole accidentally shooting a student, bare-chested Marcus Bent threatening police with a meat cleaver - and an ex-Barcelona star firing a gun in a hospital! Footballers' fascination with weapons after Amar Dedic's bow and arrows saga

Amar Dedic might have fancied himself as Robin Hood – but the Newcastle United defender's latest adventure in the Northumberland countryside led to a rather less merry altercation with police last week.The Magpies star sparked a major police operation after being spotted carrying a bow and arrows near a reservoir outside Newcastle, with at least six patrol cars joining the search for the £30million player.After tracking down and questioning the Bosnian, officers were satisfied there was no threat to the public and that the equipment was intended for recreational use.But Dedic's escapade was certainly not the first time a footballer has found himself in hot water over the possession, carrying or use of a weapon, with brass knuckles, meat cleavers and BB guns among the bizarre arsenal of items to have attracted the authorities' attention over the years.Marcus Bent, with a meat cleaver, in SurreyFormer Middlesbrough and Everton forward Marcus Bent was tasered in his own home by police after threatening armed police officers with a meat cleaver and kitchen knife while under the influence of cocaine.Bent, who avoided jail in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and affray, called Surrey Police after thinking he had discovered an intruder in his home.Officers arrived at the scene but were initially unable to gain access to the property. Guildford Crown Court heard how the officers were about to use a battering ram to gain entry when a bare-chested Bent 'flung' open the door holding two chef's knives, with his 'eyes wide, jaw clenched and his body rigid'.Bent, who was handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, later said: 'I was paranoid and I was hallucinating. I felt there were people in my house. I remember thinking the door handle was moving.'At no point was I ever going to take someone's life. I called them because I was hallucinating, paranoid, terrified.' Marcus Bent arrives at court before pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and affrayAshley Cole, with an air rifle, in CobhamTo most, Ashley Cole is England's all-time greatest full-back but the three-time Premier League winner also made headlines for an infamous training ground air rifle incident.Back in 2011 while playing for Chelsea, Ashley Cole accidentally shot and injured 21-year-old student Tom Cowan, who was on work experience at the Blues' training ground in Cobham, Surrey.The Champions League winning left-back was reportedly 'larking about' with a .22 air rifle and accidentally shot Cowan from just five feet away.The student had assumed he would get an invaluable experience on his brief visit to Cobham but instead had to be treated by medics and rest for the remainder of the day after the shot was fired. Cole accidentally shot a 21-year-old on work experience at Chelsea's training groundDarren Bent, with a BB Gun, in KesgraveEx-England star Darren Bent ran into trouble early in his career when he was questioned over the alleged shooting of a 12-year-old boy with a ball-bearing gun.While starring for his boyhood club Ipswich at the age of 20 in May 2004, Bent was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause violence, before he was placed on bail and eventually released without charge pending further investigations.According to a Suffolk Police statement at the time, a 12-year-old boy at a play area in Kesgrave had been struck in the back by a pellet from a ball-bearing gun (BB Gun). The incident was reported to authorities by his mother.Bent, who was given a formal caution for his actions, went on to enjoy a fruitful career in the Premier League, representing the likes of Charlton, Tottenham, Sunderland and Aston Villa while also winning 13 caps for the Three Lions. Early on his career Premier League legend Darren Bent was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm Karim Adeyemi, with brass knuckles, in Germany The only member of this list to still be playing is Germany and Barcelona's Karim Adeyemi who was fined £396,000 in 2025 for possessing a pair of brass knuckles.The former Borussia Dortmund forward was caught with the knuckles back in 2024, at the age of 22, but had to wait until the following year to receive his punishment.Under German law the possession, procurement and use of brass knuckles is prohibited. The young winger avoided a public trial and a criminal record and was given a fine consisting of 60 daily payments of £6,600.Although he never used the weapon, the German was in hot water as he briefly lost his starting place in the German national team and at Borussia Dortmund.The Westphalia giants released a statement saying: 'BVB always takes criminal allegations seriously and uses them as an opportunity to discuss them with its employees while respecting confidentiality obligations.' Adeyemi was lucky to dodge prison time after being charged with the possession of brass knuckles Diego Maradona, with an air rifle, in Buenos AiresArgentina icon Diego Maradona caused injuries to four people when he fired an air rifle at journalists and photographers while hiding behind a parked Mercedes outside his Buenos Aires home in February 1994.Four years later, Maradona was found guilty of assault with a weapon and given a suspended prison sentence of two years and ten months, which was later reduced to an even two years. To many he is the best of all time but Diego Maradona is hardly infallible off the pitch Despite appealing against the sentence which they claimed was 'too light', the journalists injured by Maradona said the verdict at least demonstrated there was 'justice for all' in Argentina.'At least this exemplary case does show that there is justice for all,' said Daniel Talamoni, one of the four reporters who sued the World Cup winner.'When the case began four years ago, everyone said it was impossible. They would sentence a man idolised in Argentina and forgive everything.'Arda Turan, with an unlicensed gun, in a Turkish hospital Keen fans of European football will not need to be reminded of who Arda Turan is. But they may be surprised to learn that the former Atletico Madrid and Barcelona star has had some serious trouble with the law. Turan somehow avoided a jail sentence after discharging an unlicensed firearm in a hospital In 2018 while on loan from Barcelona in his home country of Turkey at Istanbul Basaksehir, Turan got into an altercation with Turkish singer Berkay Sahin, who ended in hospital with a broken nose.Then Turan turned up at the hospital that was treating Sahin with an unlicensed firearm, and fired a shot into the floor.He was eventually sentenced to two years and eight months behind bars for firing a gun to cause panic, illegal possession of weapons and intentional injury but the sentence was suspended for five years. Basaksehir also fined the midfielder £350,000 over the incident.Nearly a decade after the incident, Turan now manages Ukrainian powerhouse Shakhtar Donetsk, joining the club in May of last year.