An arrest warrant has been issued for Daniel Sturridge after he failed to appear in a Los Angeles court over money he allegedly owes a man who says he found his dog.
The former England striker, 34, publicly offered a reward for the safe return of his pet, Pomeranian, in July 2019 after revealing it had been stolen from his house in LA.
Foster Washington, an American rapper known as Killa Fame, took credit for reuniting Sturridge with his dog, Lucci, but said he did not receive the promised payment, leading him to launch a civil lawsuit.
In December 2021, an LA court ordered Sturridge to pay Washington $30,000 (£24,400) following a default judgment, which came after the ex-Liverpool star did not respond to the complaint.
The Sky Sports pundit – who has not been seen on screen since the first Super Sunday show of the season – was called back to court last month for a ‘debtor’s exam’, where he was meant to answer questions on his finances.
However, Sturridge did not attend and court documents seen by Mail Sport show he has now been served a bench warrant – a summons issued by a judge to arrest a defendant and bring them before court. A new hearing has been set for November 30.
Sturridge’s representatives did not respond to Mail Sport’s requests for comment.
Sturridge posted about the dispute on X, formerly Twitter, following the initial court ruling in December 2021.
He wrote: ‘Just to let you know the truth at Christmas. I met a young boy who found my dog and paid him a reward, which he was delighted with, as was I to get my dog back because he was stolen.
“Other people are trying to benefit for their own personal gain.
Thank you to the young boy once again. I’m very grateful Lucci is back with our family.”
But Washington, who claims he has spent more than $10,000 on legal fees, told Mail Sport. “For me, it’s a point of principle. He promised me the money. It’s a substantial amount of money that could change my family’s life. –Mailonline
