FORMER Premier League footballer Kevin Nolan was an inadvertent "middle man" in a Christmas hamper con in which West Ham players and staff, including former Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce, lost thousands of pounds, a court has heard.

The ex-West Ham midfielder told Snaresbrook Crown Court he had been passed the details of a hamper salesman called "Mark Kingston" by a nightclub The 34-year-old paid £920 for two Harrods hampers and 25 bottles of champagne which he never received.

Stephen Ackerman, 48, is accused of defrauding new England manager Sam Allardyce and 12 other former and current West Ham players and staff, including England striker Andy Carroll, out of thousands of pounds by selling them hampers which were never delivered.

Ackerman, of Loughton, Essex, denies 18 fraud charges, with the proceeds amounting to a total of around £61,560.

It is alleged he appeared at the club's training ground on December 12 2014 using the alias Mark Kingston.

Nolan, who was West Ham captain at the time, told the court he was given the details of Mr Kingston by Scott Cummings, who runs the Club 195 bar in Epping.

Allardyce, who is in talks with the Football Association about becoming England's next manager, previously told jurors he had lost £13,270 in the alleged scam.

He described the man who conned him as "extremely smart" and a "good salesman".

The trial continues.