Warnock taught us ballboy ‘tactics’

LOWTON'S LOWDOWN ... Villa starlet has revealed murky secrets of his ballboy training

ASTON VILLA star Matt Lowton has told how he was taught the dark arts of being a ballboy... by Neil Warnock.

Lowton, speaking in the wake of Eden Hazard’s kick shame, claimed he was schooled by the former Sheffield United boss while an apprentice there.

He said: “We were schooled in how to use a little gamesmanship to help the team. It was part of our apprenticeship under Warnock.

“He wanted us to study the first team and get a feel for how things were done at that level.

“He even taught tactics for ballboys. He reckoned we had an important role to play when big clubs came to Bramall Lane.

“He taught us when to get the ball back quickly – and when not to!”

Lowton, 23, who visits Millwall in the FA Cup tonight, said Warnock told his kids to get the ball

back at breakneck speed when United were chasing a goal – and slow to a snail’s pace when ahead.

And he even fell out with his hero, Kop skipper Steven Gerrard, when Liverpool visited in 2006.

He added: “United were a goal up after Rob Hulse scored but Gerrard won a controversial penalty for Liverpool when he went down in the box.

“There was a huge fuss afterwards over whether he dived and I did everything I could to delay giving Liverpool the ball back for the penalty.

“But eventually Robbie Fowler scored from the penalty spot and Liverpool snatched a 1-1 draw.”