Football agent Aidy Ward and his Colossal Sports Management agency have been banned by the Football Association until December 2024 for approaches made to a minor.
FA rules prohibit agents offering deals before 1 January in the year of a player’s 16th birthday.
Ward and his agency have lodged an appeal against their ban.
Ward used to represent England international Raheem Sterling and negotiated the forward’s £49m move from Liverpool to Manchester City in 2015.
Sterling, who moved to Chelsea last summer, dropped Ward as an agent in 2020.
“Adrian Ward and Colossal Sports Management Ltd have both been suspended from all intermediary activity up to and including 3 December 2024, and also warned about their future conduct,” said an FA statement.
“It was alleged that Adrian Ward had directly or indirectly made an approach to a minor on behalf of Colossal Sports Management Ltd at various points between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019.
“Adrian Ward was charged with misconduct in relation to FA Rule E1(b), and Colossal Sports Management Ltd was charged with misconduct in relation to various breaches of FA Rule E1(b) and regulation B8 and B8(i), but they were all denied.
“An independent regulatory commission found all of the charges to be proven and imposed these sanctions, and its written reasons for these decisions will be published in due course. Adrian Ward and Colossal Sports Management Ltd have both subsequently lodged an appeal.
“The FA takes the protection of minors seriously and will continue to enforce its regulations in respect of any such misconduct by participants.”