Aaron Smith was sacked from his job at Woodlands Primary School in Birkenhead(Image: Google)

A PE teacher has been struck off after using fake medals, doctored photos and a forged team sheet to convince pupils he'd played for Leicester City FC. Aaron Smith, 44, went to extraordinary lengths to maintain his lie before being caught out by a pupil's Google search.

Mr Smith delivered the assembly to pupils at Woodlands Primary School in Birkenhead in February 2016, where he proudly displayed his fake football memorabilia. He had claimed on his application form to the school that he had been a professional footballer at Leicester City FC between June 2000 and December 2001, and also boasted he played for West Bromwich Albion FC, represented England Schoolboys at under-15 level, and worked for Leicester City Council.

His elaborate lies began to unravel when the school discovered the team sheet included names of current players despite Mr Smith claiming the match had taken place a decade earlier. A suspicious pupil and parent tried to find information about his football career online but could find no trace of him.

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