Football Daily - Karel Prince: Lie Detector - Nedum Onuoha

Episode Date: August 19, 2026

This week, former Manchester City, QPR and Sunderland defender Nedum Onuoha submits three stories from his football career. Did Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce really send England goalkeeper David James up front in a desperate attempt to qualify for Europe? Was Onuoha handed a tactical note by his manager that somehow only included ten players? Or did a Championship manager spend every matchday watching soap operas on his iPad instead of focusing on the game ahead? Armed with photographs, football knowledge and plenty of confidence, Karel and Anita dissect every detail before Onuoha returns to reveal the truth. Karel Prince: Lie Detector is presented by Karel Prince and Anita Abayomi and is a Sport Social Studios production for BBC Sounds. Credits  Series Producer: Matt Tasker  Technical Producer: Tom Hinckley  Executive Producer: Jim Salveson  Photography: Tom Barker  Artwork: James Mobbs  Original Theme Music: WIZZFX  Commissioning Executive for BBC: Stevie Middleton  Assistant Commissioner for the BBC: Steve Trenchard

Yes, people, it's me, Karel Prince. And it's me and Nia are by me. We are your resident fact checkers here at the BBC. Every week, we will bring three stories from the wonderful world of football from an ex-professional footballer. Two will be lies, one will be the truth and using our analytical skills,

my immense detective skills, we will weed out the truth from the lies. So, Anita, you've been assigned as my assistant. And I just want to know what your credentials are. Like, when's the first time you caught someone in a lie? Well, I'm not going to lie to you, I've caught several people in a lie but my best detective work has been with my exes

okay? Every single one of my exes I've been caught in a lie with me so trust me I've got the right girl for the job promise you you know what they say men lie women lie numbers don't so men lie numbers don't lie yep it's okay is that what we're doing yes well if you believe men lie perfect job for you because we do have an ex-professional male footballer could you hang on over the case file please I've got them for you Carrell

very much. Let's get straight into this one. Oh. Oh. Nade de manure. Do you know much about Nadeem Anua? Do you know what? Loki, I don't.

I just know he's Nigerian because, you know, I'm Nigerian. That's all I know. You know, yeah. Came through our city, played for QPR in that crazy time as well. And, you know, he's a great, you know, analyst pundit these days, you know, one of the great respecting minds of football. Yeah, I think this one might be tough, you know, because I feel like he's got the memory of an elephant.

so I won't be able to detect, well at least straight away detect what the lie is. Have you met him before? Have you met him before. Funny story. Back in one of my old jobs before I was employed in this place. Back in my day. Back in my day. He used to come in to my place of work a lot.

But I never spoke to him, but I used to see him come in. So I worked in a phone shop. Okay. Okay. But the phone shop was within a supermarket. Yeah. So he would come into the supermarket, like fairly regularly. And yeah, I'd see him like.

Did you say hi? No, it's too shy. Okay, okay. Before I had the credentials I have now. Exactly, now you're about to catch him in a life? Crazy. That means I've been watching him for years, you know. Even behind the scenes, so can he get away from me?

We'll see. Right, we've got his career history. And as I mentioned before, came for a city, made his debut in 2004. It was a mainstay for eight years. Also played for Sunderland, right? So you're a Chelsea fan, right? Yeah. Do you remember that game?

Asimor Jain? Which one? the bridge with Danny Wellbeck, 3-1. 3-1. When he was dancing and Zendan was dancing, mine. Yeah, I don't remember losses, mate. You're not properly. See, this is what I'm saying.

You need the memory to do this job. Like, you can't remember those things. How are you going to help me? You're a Man United fan just the other day. Let's relax here, okay? That's neither here nor there. It's always here and it's always there. Sorry for enjoying my life.

Anyway, he went to QPR for six years, 2012 to 2018, and then finished his career at Rail Salt Lake. So a well-traveled man, you know, where else Salt Lake is in America. In Salt Lake City, maybe. In which state? Cut the cameras, man.

Cut the cameras, man. This isn't a geography session. I'll give you, I'll give you a clue. Go on. NBA, Jazz. So, it looks like we have a picture of a formation here in his hand. Free, free, free, free. How many plays is that? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

Ten players. I'm sorry. Okay, I don't know what that would mean. And then there's also... Is that just a different? James? Yeah, David James. Do you know who that is to he's right?

That's Giovanni Rainer's dad. Oh, really? Yes, Claudio Rainer. Okay, another one of David James. Why is David James so prominent in this guy's case files? But keeping out on the kit, though. The kit's interesting. Then we've got Coronation Street to end it off.

Hmm. Okay, that's a little bit odd. Yeah, right. Listen, I've got nothing to go off from these files, right? But luckily enough, we have a few videos from Nadeem. explaining, maybe adding a bit more context to what we've just seen in this file and I'm going to play the first of these videos right now.

All right, next go. Right, hello, my friend, story time. And the first one is from the very first year of my career, the 0405 season. And I was at City and we'd gone on being in the last nine games of the season and we were now facing Borough at home. And if we won,

we would have made it into the way for Cod because we finished the season so well. but Borough were also trying to get into the away for cop and if they didn't lose they would get into the away for cop so it's a tense game, big game I'm playing this game like what way to finish your first season so Jimmy Floyd Hassamite scores a free kick

from 30 yards out absolute rocket as he does we're 1-0 down but then second half we score to make it 1-1 and we're pushing pushing pushing they've been time wasting and stuff like this and understandable you know because such a big game and then towards the end of the game Our US international, Clary O'Reina, comes off. And as he's coming off, on comes our goalkeeper, Nicky Weaver. So at this point, we've got Nicky Weaver in there,

but all of a sudden, David James has got an outfield shirt and he's playing upfield as we're pushing for this goal. And it's one of the weirdest decisions that's ever been done by any coach anywhere, which nobody knew was going to happen apart from the manager of David James and the kit man. But what made it matter was the fact that David James won a penalty. and Robbie Fowler had the chance at the end of the game to score these penalties to take us into Europe

and he missed so what was one of the worst sort of tactical decisions you could ever imagine almost turned out to be one of the best ones you've ever seen Hmm Hmm

You see this brings me back to the James picture You've been an outfield shirt So it kind of adds up I was yeah I was thinking Why am I seen a goalkeeping outfield shirt Obviously I'm happy this is the first story because this was playing on my mind a lot. So it's kind of put it at ease

that there may be some context to these pictures. Up front, that's crazy. What kind of goalkeeper plays the striker? They called Stuart Piers Cycle for a reason. Giro was. He was manager at the time. Nah, but Carrell, imagine being a striker on the bench

and then you're watching your goalkeeper, take your spot. I've got a question to ask back to you. Gone. Crunch game of the season. Yeah. If you're a striker and you've only scored one. one goal up until that point that season. Would you even be mad that the coach is trying something different?

Because clearly bringing you on hasn't yielded the results that he's wanted. Right. Who was a striker? John Mackin. And he actually scored just one goal that season. One goal that season. I mean, okay, look, regardless, right, if my job role is a striker and someone else's job role is a goalkeeper, please don't put the goalkeeper on instead of me.

No, but I'm looking at it as like, I need a goal. Keepers are usually like six foot three, six foot four. You know how like you've got the Dan Byrne option or the Harry McGuire option where it's like the ball's going to go in the box, you need someone just to cause a bit of chaos. And we've seen situations like Alison scored for Liverpool. Which was great.

He scored a winning goal and that helped them get top four that season. What position was Alison playing that game? He was in goal. There we go. He went up for one opportunity. So you're telling me, David James up there for 15, 20 minutes, 10 minutes. That's too long of a time when you have a striker sitting on the bench right there.

I don't think so. I think if a striker scored one goal, you can't. What are you going to say, Gaffa? Remember in October when I scored that goal away at Watford? Let me give you a situation. Let me give you a situation. It's your Sunday league. Yeah.

Okay. Your striker. I think it's a bad example already because the amount of goalkeepers that play up top in Sunday league. Right, but you're a striker and you know your capabilities. You know what you're capable of. But the gaffer, you've been trying to get on the pitch for time. You're telling the gaffer, look, I can get a goal, I can get a goal. But your gaffer now looks to your goalkeeper and says go up top.

Are you not going to be livid? I'm not saying you can't be angry. I'm saying that, do you know how much of a desperate situation the manager is now in that he's considered playing the goal? He's printed out an outfield shirt with number one on it. The only other man I know that's war number one outfield was Edgar Davids at Barnet. But he was manager, captain and number one shirt. Look it up, it's true, I swear.

That's the only man I've seen do that before. All this is telling me is that this was premeditating. It was. This was premeditated. That made them said, the only people that you about it was the gaffer, the goalkeeper, and the kit man who obviously had to print out the shirt. Oh, man. I'm saying, John Macom, I feel for you because it's embarrassing.

It happens. But when you only score one goal, I don't think you can have, you know, the biggest quams. And I think the biggest issue as well is that it almost worked. But Robbie Fowler, Mr. Penley. Mr. Penn. So, yeah, like I said,

the whole strip his cycle for a reason and he exercised his right to be a cycle and it almost worked. Shout out, John, man. If that was me, I would have walked out. It was the last day of the season. It was probably walking out of the club anyway. But with that being said,

let's go into the second, you know, story from Nadeem, the second case file and see if we can get some more context for the other pictures in this file. So one thing for me about playing is even though you are a pro, at some point you were once a fan

and if you're watching games, you see things that happen, you wonder if that'll ever happen in my game. And as I got older, one thing that used to happen more is you see coaches like giving out notes to players on the sideline. And as they'd do it, you know,

it'd be formations, it'd be messages, you know, they'd see like somebody come over, take it from the opposition and all this. And that only happened to me twice in my career, but the first time to happen, would have been probably like 2016-17 when I was at QPR. And I was captain at the time. So I got called off by the manager.

I was given a note. And a note had a formation on it. And the formation only had templates on it. So I was jogging away. And the game was about to restart. And I was trying to figure out what he wanted us to do. But I was trying to figure out who's missing. So yeah, this moment I thought, oh, this would be quite fun.

ended up being one of the worst tactical interventions that I ever saw in my life. You see, this one's a little bit fishy for me, right? Hmm. Okay, now, amateur-storting's things, but listen to mine. Okay? There are 10 players on this picture. Yeah.

Right? There's a goalkeeper, three at the back, three in midfield, three up front, I'm guessing. Okay? Yeah, it looks that way. But the dots, it's a tiny note with tiny dots on them. Yeah, but you've seen it when they fold it up. They've clearly been printed out.

No, but, like, Like, that might not be the original, when you think he's kept that since 2016? Hey, listen, I don't know. I'm just saying. How many papers have you got in your house from 2016? I've got quite a few. I'm a hoarder. So, hey, listen, I'm just saying this could be a picture that has been AI generating.

I'm just saying, because I cannot believe there will be 10 dots on a tiny note that he's taken onto a pitch. I'll be honest. I'll be honest. You see, in football, there's a lot of, there's a lot of gimmicks, you know. People start wearing their socks low. Everyone else wants to wear their socks low. People cut out the back of their boots. Other people start cutting out the back of the boots.

Whether cutting holes in socks, whatever it is. People follow fashion. It's just got to do with the dogs. Let me land. Let me land. And as long as I've been watching football, how many times do you see a manager sit there on the side,

scribbling something of other? Yeah. Fold it up. Uh-huh. Maybe they wait for a breaking. played these days you don't even need that anymore just hydration break we'll do it for you and then they go they hand it over to a player the player runs on the pitch he opens it up uh-huh and then he throws it on the floor yeah now i want to ask you so if they've been doing that for that long and he made his debut in 2004

do you really believe that it took until 2016 for the first time as he said the first time he was ever handed a note from a manager i believe that the devil's in the details and the detail to me is I don't think it takes 12 years for you to receive your first note from a manager. I've only played flipping Sunday league and I've had notes for managers. Why are you having notes for managers in a Sunday league? It's not that deep. Because there's no crowd to mask what he wants to shout. So we'll write it down and give it to me.

Come on, man. That's why we won the treble. Do you know what? Do you know what? We'll park that one. Let's listen to the third one. Okay. Let's listen to the third one.

I'm telling you, if the third one makes sense, it's this one. I promise you. Are you sure? I promise you. You heard it here first. If I go with you... You hired me for a reason, mate. I didn't hire you. You was bestowed upon me. I just hope you're good at your job.

Do you know what, without me, you'll be nothing. I mean, I could go get my own case files, but I's neither here no day. You're aware. The murder of Tupac Shakur has generated nearly 30 years of rumours, conspiracy theories and unanswered questions. Now the mythology is about to meet the courtroom as the trial gets underway, and Nevada prosecutors try and solve the mystery of who killed Tupac. I'm Minishka, Matadowati, and for the BBC's famous. Under Fire podcast, I'll be inside the courtroom every day, and I'm bringing you with me.

What really happened on the Las Vegas strip that night in 1996? It's time to separate fact from fiction. Join me for Fame Under Fire, the two-part murder trial, the testimony, the arguments, the moments that matter, and all the legal analysis. To get all the updates, listen and subscribe on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode. All right, so we're going into the third and final story, the third and final case file. I feel like if we get this wrong, we've got egg on our face.

Naden wins. Don't worry, we're fine, we're fine. One of my coaches when I was at QPR, a senior manager that coached in the Premier League and then was coaching in the championship. He was different. He was very, very different to every other coach that had before. And he was different, not just so in terms of, say,

the training sessions or, like, when he'd turn up later than most other coaches would. But the biggest one really was, when he'd be travelling into a game on a bus, he'd always be watching his iPad, but not for, like, tactical things. he'd be watching like a TV series and he would go into the dress room

and continue to do the same thing as we're all getting ready so as you can imagine like this is when I was at QPR so we fight relegation in that first season in the Premier League and before the game like up until like an hour before we need to go out like he's just sitting in the corner just watching like Coronation Street on his iPad and he's saying oh this is different every week Coronation Street

Coronation Street to the point where it's becoming quite ridiculous but then it crosses over and becomes quite normal. So yeah, I had a manager who before every game, instead of like just sitting around and, you know, talking to his coaches and so on, his method of getting ready would be to watch Coronation Street on his iPad, both on the team boss and in the dressing room before he needs to say anything. Come on now. Let's...

That's suspicious. You took the words out of my wife. Is Coronation Street on Midweek? It is midweek. So is he storing up his episodes until Saturday morning to watch it. But sometimes you wait for your fake, you wait to watch your favourite

TV shows at the right time though. I'm trying to think who was manager at that point in time. Use your detective skills. You've got a computer. It's 21st century. Use the computer. I wish I knew how to work it. I've been trying to use it for like 20 minutes.

It's an actual prop. No, it works, but I don't know where I don't know where Safari is. Is this a normal computer? It's not a, Macbook. Use the computer like a normal human being. It's got the Apple thing on it.

These Gen Zs nowadays, mate. Oh, we have lift off. Oh my God, we've got the internet. This is class. So you're telling me a high level detective like you didn't know how to use the computer? Cut the cameras. He was the manager.

So he said, see, this is why the case files are important. My case file mind you. Yeah. The case files are I. If they're reliable, they're good. So, I'd like to point you to his playing history. Okay.

Okay. He joined QPR in 2012. Okay. So that gives us one key suspect. So when he signed, the manager who signed him was Mark Hughes. Okay. Also known as Sparky. He gives Coronation Street as well, you know.

Ha, but here's the issue though. He left the job in the... November of 2012. And do you know who took over? Harry Rednapp. Yeah. He also gives Coronation Street. That's why he's believable.

And you know he's on the wall already. You know he's on the wall. And maybe Naden knows that he's on the wall. So he's baited me in because he didn't say his name, but he's given me, oh, once you hear Harry Rednapp, he must be doing some stuff like this. He's trying to pull a fast one over us. Do you own an iPad?

Yes. How long have you had an iPad for? I don't know, Carole, like 10 years. No, because my question is, if this is like 2012 and this is just me trying to like figure things out. Your juices are flowing. Go on, give it to me, give it to me, come on. When were you able to watch shows remotely, like, and download them on your iPad?

I don't think that was something that came in straight away. I feel that's a later feature. I feel you could always watch stuff on Wi-Fi. But I don't think you were always able to download them. Actually. Because it's probably why that? That's actually a good point. That's, you know what I mean?

The devil's in the details. Oh, I like that. I like that. I think as much as it is, Harry Rednapp, I don't see it. I can guarantee he watches Coronation Street, though. He gives coronation aura. He does. He does.

He does, but I'm saying like, would he do it on a Saturday, like, Saturday afternoon every afternoon? He does what he wants. And I've heard stories about Harry Rednapp. Not one person's ever mentioned. a thing about him watching Coronation Street or being obsessed with his iPad. I've never seen anything like it. Watching Coronation Street on an iPad in, what, 2012?

That doesn't sound right. That's too suspicious for me. It's weird. What we're saying? I know. I don't... I don't think... Yeah, I don't think I read that one's true.

Purely because I don't think you could watch stuff offline at that point in time. I also don't think the tactic one is true because I don't think that 12 years into your career is the first time you'll ever hand a note from a manager. Like, that is something that happened all too regularly. That's awfully suspicious as well. Awfully, awfully suspicious.

And again, the dots. Okay. The dots. Yeah, but I still think it doesn't add up. Yeah, it doesn't add up. The one that is true. And I know this. The David James one in it.

Yeah, because we, listen, if you watched Premier League years. Do you know what? It's an image you cannot shake from your head. The only thing I was worried about is like if he's given me like the right situation with the wrong story because the pictures are there and they're not real. I remember the game. So you remember David James getting a penalty? I remember David James playing up top with a number one shirt.

And I remember Robbie Fowler missing a penalty in that game. Okay. Are we happy with our deliberation? We've got the David James story. We've got the tactics. And we've got the iPads. For me personally, I'm saying the true story is David James. Are you with me on this?

No, I'm joking. Yeah, yeah, 100%. This is the only one that makes sense. And you said that you remember that match happening. You remember David James as an outfield player, which is bizarre to me, by the way. But it's David James, so it's kind of normal. What, bizarre situations? No, like, he's just an eccentric guy.

I think he'd be right up for it. Like, I think that when he got told the news that he was going up to, I think in his head, he was like, I'm scoring a hat trick. He was gassed. He was exed. Yeah. Do you see the way he's putting that show out as well? He's gassed, man.

I need to show you the highlights. You know, when this gets revealed, it's correct because I believe, honestly, if I'm wrong, I would be flawed. I retire. There was literally no way I was going to believe the formation thing. There was no way I was going to believe that the note being passed to him for the first time in how many years. No way I was going to believe that the last month, coronation street, even though Harry gives coronation, that one doesn't sound feasible.

The details, though. It's in the details. Devil in the details. We're going with David James as our one. Yes. We do have one more video. And the video is the truth being revealed by Nadam himself. So, moment of truth. Let's get into it.

So I'll be interested to see which one you thought was right, which one you thought was wrong. But I'm going to start in this order. The one with David James, forming an international goalkeeper playing up front, that is very, very, very close to being real but he didn't win a penalty. I told you. I said it. He was actually the most chaotic individual

that's ever been seen on a football pitch. So yeah. Can we have a pause on the evidence, please? You said you remember that match. Yes. It's true. Like, he played up front. What am I working with here?

Oh, sorry. He didn't win a penalty. Oh, great. Let's first find out what's real and what's not real because right now I'm sick to my stomach I can't

I can't eat I can't sleep I can't breathe I want the BBC to cut my contract today I don't want any parts of this what's going on what's happening

do you know what we need to do we need to look at your memories okay because you're telling me that you saw all of this happen

and now all of a sudden you'll stick to your stomach I just didn't I said I didn't see him win a penalty but I do remember him doing everything else okay

I can only go off for what I remember. That was in the deep. Anyway, let's find out what was true. Because you said, I don't believe the formation. I don't believe that. So, go on. We did have the penalty to win it all,

but David James had nothing to do with it. So it still goes down in my mind. It's the worst tactical decision that's ever, ever, ever happened in the history of not just the Premier League, but in all the professional football. The note thing was having 10 players, that was real.

And that was one of the most surreal moments I've ever had as a captain to try and figure out what exactly does the manager want from me when he can't think straight himself. So he wants me to put the players into this position, but somehow we're down to 10 players when we are actually 11. So yeah, that's the one that was real.

And then finally, the one about watching the iPad, it's ridiculous, isn't it? Like, obviously that feels stupid, but it was almost real. Because the coach, he wasn't watching Coronation Street. He was actually watching EastEnders. Well done if you got it right. The silence is kind of deafening, boss.

But you are the lead investigator. so it would be great if you could say some words. Look, the formation thing just didn't seem real. Come on. It didn't feel real. And you said it yourself, your first note after 12 years. You know what I mean? I feel like you're going to pack up these case files and throw it at me.

So if you don't mind, I'd rather just walk out of it. Oh, you threw it in the bin. Brilliant. Listen, listen, all I've got to say is, we've got this wrong. Okay? Tough times never last. Only tough people last. Because I want everyone to know I feel sick.

I feel sick. To be fair, we were so sure about that David James one. We were so sure about it. Look, our heart, minds and analysis were in the right place. Yeah. The result was wrong. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We are liable to get things wrong.

I can't help but feel like I'm sick to my stuff. stomach, but with that being said, I'm still proud of the work that we've done as a collective. But not going to like her all. These players, they're kind of, they're getting better at this. It's kind of looking like they're trying to catch you out. You're the lead detective. This is your thing. You know what I mean? This is your thing. They seem to be catching you out. Maybe you need to brush up on your detective skills. How about that? Okay. So this is what we're doing. They've got a head start. They've seen what I can do. They're not up in the levels. Okay, you've set the precedent. A win's a win.

But that will be the last time. That would be the last time you get through the taxman's net because I'm here to collect everything. You know, bigger office, bigger team, bigger resources. You think I can lose again. It's not happening. It's not happening. But you know what?

Fair is fair. And I have to thank Nadeem for his stories. You know, they were really interesting whether I got them right or wrong. I want to thank you as well. Anita because you were a great assistant and to be fair you did you did push me in the right direction even with my stomachness I tried my best and also I want to thank to everyone that's listening or watching and you know let me know if you got it right let me know if you smell the fish amongst the fishes what I said what I said if you do want to get in touch if you do think

There are some case studies, some case files, some stories that, you know, need scrutiny, that need our detective skills, our analysis, our ability to catch the rat amongst the turtles. Teenage Mutiny Ninja turtles. Just go with it. Go with it. These analogies are getting ridiculous, they're ridiculous, mate. You ever watch like TV shows, right? No, they just be, yeah, but you like, the character, they always just say stuff that's meant to make sense that doesn't make sense like a court

network yeah like what does the cat amongst the pigeons mean doesn't mean anything anyway right if you want to get in touch maybe someone has slipped the net someone needs to get a taste of our analytical detective skills we need to catch the cat amongst the pigeons feel free to get in touch hit us up on the socials maybe even hit us on the email even said an owl we will receive it and we will

investigate we'll see you on our next investigation this goes beyond what the kgb did back in the day Conspiracy theories and the Football World Cup is there ever one without the other? Well, I've been digging into one of the very best back in 1994. Guy from Iraq gets a red card for a, you know, a dubious tackle.

I'm James Montague, and from BBC 5 Live, this is Sports Strangers Crimes Presents Shadows on the pitch. Listen on BBC Sounds.