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Louis Tomlinson playing in the Petrov testimonial minutes before the horrific tackle. Source: @EleanotStunning on Twitter
Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor found himself targeted by many music fans after the player harshly tackled One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson during a charity match for Ex-Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov, The Guardian reports.
The 21-year-old singer was hauled off the field after the challenge and spend the rest of the match recuperating on the sidelines, Tomlinson recently signed for Championship side Doncaster Rovers as a non-contract player in aid of a children’s hospice.
Tomlinson clearly had a hard time coping after Agbonlahor’s challenge, the Villa player responded with a reassuring pat on the One Direction star’s head. One Direction fans took to social networking site Twitter to express their feeling and even sent Agbonlahor death threats.
The match was played in honor of Stiliyan Petrov, who handpicked a team of legends to face Celtic XI his former club. The former Aston Villa captain had retired prematurely from football due to acute leukemia. Petrov received a standing ovation from the crowd in the 19th minute who honoured his shirt number which is #19.
“I said I wouldn’t cry but I couldn’t hold it. It was an absolute privilege,” he told BT Sport. “I’m just happy to see my family every day.”
The Legends XI team consisted of players like John Terry, Gareth Barry, Henrik Larsson and Dimitar Berbatov, who found the back of the net thrice for the Legends. The Legends XI won the match 5-3
