John Carew to ask to leave prison for coaching job

Norway's ex-star footballer John Carew, who is in prison for aggravated tax evasion, has been hired by the Norwegian Football Federation to coach his country's young stars, the Federation announced this Thursday. The 43 year old ex-striker, who played 91 games for the national side, in November was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment for not declaring to the tax office €1.2 million between 2014 and 2019.

His new role with the Federation could lead to them reviewing his sentence. "He hopes to be able to take the reigns while he serves his sentence with an electronic tag and there will be a request for that to the corresponding authorities", the Federation said in a statement.

"It's good that he wanted to put his skills to good use with children and teenagers", the Federation's President, Lise Klaeveness, said. "Maybe this job can be a part of his sentencing, in which case it will be a win-win", she added.

Carew, who played at Lyon, Valencia, Aston Villa, Besiktas and West Ham, contacted the Federation himself in December to offer his services. He would work between four and five hours. "I can't wait to get back to sport", he said. "Football is still an important aspect of my life. It'll be good to be able to contribute to a new generation of young players", he concluded.