Former Liverpool, Stockport, Cardiff, Swansea footballer JAILED for eight years

Former Liverpool, Stockport, Cardiff, Swansea footballer Layton Maxwell has been JAILED for eight years for his role in a £6m cocaine gang.

The ex-midfielder turned drug dealer admitted to being part of a drug racket that saw 60kg of cocaine and heroin plus more than £2.5m in cash being seized by police.

Maxwell, with an address at Rhiwbina, Cardiff, scored in front of the Kop on his Liverpool debut in 1999 but failed to make a lasting impact at Anfield and dropped down the leagues.

He was arrested as part of a UK-wide investigation called Operation Venetic and during sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court last Friday, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke described it as a “dirty trade bringing misery to many.”

A former footballer who played for Cardiff and Swansea – Layton Maxwell – has been jailed for eight years for his involvement in the supply of £6m of cocaine #CapitalReports pic.twitter.com/Whd15f4ngs

— Capital Wales News (@CapitalWALNews) October 18, 2022

Maxwell, who was one of eight people sentenced for a combined 80 years with additional gang members awaiting their fates, allowed a gang to use his home for storage and was described in court as a “courier.”

Prosecutors said that drugs, money and weighing equipment were discovered at the Cardiff premises and he received £500-a-month from the gang for using it as a safehouse.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thorne said: “Officers have seized 60kg of cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin with an estimated street value of £6,000,000. In addition more than £2.5 million in cash has also been seized.

“Illegal drugs have no place in our society and we will continue to work together to target those whose criminal activities blight the lives of the communities of southern Wales.

“We are committed to disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups, bringing people before the courts and removing drugs from our streets.”

Layton Maxwell, born in St Asaph, scored on his debut for Liverpool, then had am 11-year career in the beautiful game, before turning to dealing drugs after his performances slumped and he slipped down into the lower levels of Welsh football.

Here he is scoring in Liverpool’s 4-2 win in the League Cup against Hull City in the 1990-2000 season.

“I scored and you really think you’ve made it when that happens,” Maxwell is quoted as saying by LFC History. “Not many players score at the Kop End on their Liverpool debut.

He was pictured wearing a dark suit with a black shirt and red tie to the short hearing where he pleaded guilty.

The footballer was bailed to return back to court in July for a further hearing, it has been reported.

Maxwell came through the ranks with Premier League legends Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, but then went out on loan to Stockport.

He was highly rated before making his debut in 1999 but was released by the club in 2001.

The 41-year-old went on to play for Cardiff, and then their rivals Swansea City, before falling through divisions and seeing out his career in Wales, his last club being Barry Town in 2010.

He recently left with Cardiff Draconians of the South Wales Alliance League Premier Division, whilst being an engineer at Vodafone.

In his last season with the Dracs, they finished second, with the season being decided on a points-per-game basis.

MAXWELL’S CAREER

Youth career
1997–1999 – Liverpool

Senior career
1999–2001 – Liverpool
2000–2001 → Stockport County (loan) – 20 games (2 goals)
2001–2004 – Cardiff City – 34 games (1 goal)
2003 → Barry Town (loan) – 1 game (0 goals)
2004 – Swansea City – 3 games (0 goals)
2004 – Carmarthen Town – 8 games (2 goals)
2004–2005 – Mansfield Town – 1 game (0 goals)
2005 – Rhyl – 6 games (0 goals)
2005–2006 – Bangor City – 31 games (4 goals)
2006–2008 – Caernarfon Town – 50 games (10 goals)
2008–2009 – Aberaman Athletic – 15 games (1 goal)
2010 – Barry Town – 11 games (4 goals)

National team
1999–2001 – Wales U21 – 14 games (0 goals)

Layton Maxwell. Welsh midfielder and former Liverpool trainee that signed in July 2001. Maxwell went on to make 45 appearances for City, scoring one goal. He was released by in 2004, spent short stints with Swansea and Mansfield before going on to play Welsh league football. pic.twitter.com/pNdGThInEt

— Bluebirds Past (@BluebirdsPast) February 19, 2021

After hanging up his boots he became an engineer with Vodafone and managed in the Welsh third tier.

“I scored and you really think you’ve made it when that happens,” Maxwell said not long after his only first-team appearance at Anfield.

“Not many players score at the Kop on their Liverpool debut. It was some night after that game but I soon came back down to earth because I was training with the reserves the following week.”

This is what social media users said as the former Liverpool, Stockport, Cardiff, Swansea footballer gets JAILED for eight years…

@huwrichards3: Think this is a new Swans record for criminality. Dai Thomas served a short sentence for hooliganism, Giorgio Chinaglia accused of financial offences, short-term boss Kevin Cullis did time for fraud and Frank Barson claimed friendship with gangsters, but nothing like this.

@Titch_1986_: Decent on championship manager back in the day

@ASCFC_x: His supply into the box was always spot on

@RawksD: Loved a Maccies 😂

@CCFC1969: Did he have a ticket for Sunday?

@Retrofootytop: Always good and running lines

@castledavo: I remember playing against him, he was at Bangor for a bit, what a silly boy.

@NeilPryce11: Mate our school played Prestatyn high school in welsh cup u12 semi final. They battered us, he was unbelievable. Played in the same liverpool team as michael owen at the ian rush couple of years.

@Wyn18028668: He was with Cardiff draconian a few yrs back shame this

@dazz20: What a knob !!!

@martinwmoloney: Good going along the Line….

@littlebuster6: Doing 8 years all for £500 a month! Stupid twat!

@jackcarter22: funny because he played like he’d just smoked a big fat joint of Spice when I saw him play for us down The Vetch.

@doyoueveneven: Looks like an FM regen in real life

@Jinks_24: Fucksake mun 😂

@SCFCHPJ: Pretends to be shocked.

@ninianboy36: Never supplied our strikers with much during his time here…

@eherbie__: Great build up for the derby this. Winner gets the cocaine