Aston Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor's mum's desperate plea

Oct 13 2009 by Fionnuala Bourke, Sunday Mercury

THE mum of Aston Villa star Gabby Agbonlahor has revealed how they have been separated for 20 years – and claims he was told she was DEAD.

Tina Burgess last saw her son when she left him, his two brothers and their sister in a creche before a Birmingham family court granted dad Dr Samson Agbonlahor full custody.

Now, on the eve of Gabby’s 23rd birthday, the desperate mum has made a heart-rending plea for the England striker to get in touch.

Former teaching assistant Tina, who lives in a two-bedroom flat in Nechells, said: ‘“I love Gabby so much and I’m so proud of him. I’d love him to call me so that I can tell him my side of the story as to why me and his dad split up all those years ago.

“I’m not interested in his money. I just want him to know me.

“There’s not a day goes by that I don’t think about him. I’m so proud.’’

Incredibly, Tina, 49, only learnt about Gabby’s life as a professional footballer after being reunited with daughter Joy, who was also brought up by Dr Agbonlahor.

The mum and her youngest son Nathan – the 13-year-old half brother of the soccer star – were already Villa fans and couldn’t believe they were related to one of the team’s biggest names.

Instead, Tina claims her ex-husband had told his children she was dead.

“Joy said he told all the children I’d died from some kind of illness about three or four months after he was granted custody,’’ she said.

‘‘I can’t begin to imagine what Sam told them about me during the years they were growing up. But if it’s as poisonous as lying about my death, then I can understand why they wouldn’t want to know me now.

“From the time I wasn’t allowed to see them, I sent birthday and Christmas presents and cards to all of them at Sam’s house but when I rang to see if they liked them, Sam would tell me he’d thrown them away.”

Tina met Nigerian-born Dr Agbonlahor in Bolton when she was 17 years old and he was a 30 year-old PhD student.

They moved in together within a matter of weeks and then relocated to Birmingham when her husband, originally from Nigeria, got a place at Aston University.

They married at Birmingham Register office in 1981 but Tina claimed their relationship began to deteriorate when she became pregnant with their first child, Joy.

The mum-of-five said that Dr Agbonlahor – now a consultant scientist who runs his own laboratory, testing metals – regularly travelled back to his homeland where she suspected he had a girlfriend.

She left him in 1989 and moved into a women’s refuge in Kings Norton with Gabby, Joy and her two other sons, Charisma and Michael.

While at the hostel Tina received a summons to attend a family court hearing in Birmingham.

She left the children in a creche while she attended the hearing and fully expected to be able to pick them up afterwards.

Instead, her husband was granted custody of them because the mum was classed as ‘homeless’.