Aston Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor in phone call to estranged mum

Oct 18 2009 by Fionnuala Bourke, Sunday Mercury

ASTON Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor has made an emotional birthday phone call to the mum he had not spoken to in 20 years.

The England striker had last seen Tina Burgess when he was three years old and was allegedly told she had died after splitting from his dad Samson.

The former teaching assistant, 49, made a heartfelt plea last week for Gabby to contact her as he approached his 23rd birthday on Tuesday.

Now a close friend of Tina, who lives in a two-bedroom flat in Nechells, Birmingham, has revealed the soccer star rang her the night before his birthday.

The pal, who does not wish to be named, said: “Tina was shocked and delighted.

‘‘She was sitting at home watching TV when her phone rang. She didn’t recognise the number and couldn’t believe it when the voice on the other end of the line said: ‘It’s Gabby’. She got to wish him Happy Birthday – the first time she has been able to do that in 20 years.

“She said it was a bit weird talking to him after all this time but it was a very emotional conversation.’’

Now mum and son are looking to slowly build bridges after the long separation.

The pal added: ‘‘Tina doesn’t want to put too much pressure on Gabby or get in the way of his career.

“All she is hoping is that she will be able to set up a proper face-to-face meeting with him before too long.”

Tina told the Sunday Mercury last week that she had last seen Gabby as a toddler. She had left him, brothers Charisma and Michael and their sister Joy in a creche before a family court granted their dad, Samson Agbonlahor, full custody.

Gabby played a key role in England’s 3-0 victory against Belarus on Wednesday night, making a crucial cross for Peter Crouch to score the opening goal.

Tina is an avid Aston Villa fan who attends home games with her 13 year-old son Nathan, Gabby’s half-brother.

But it wasn’t until she was briefly reunited with daughter Joy that she learned of his footballing success – and that his father had allegedly told his children she was dead.