England squad's World Cup send-off disrupted by imposter dressed in same clothes as players

Published February 05, 2015

England almost had a 24-man squad departing for the World Cup on Sunday.

As the country's footballers prepared to board a flight to Miami for two pre-World Cup friendlies ahead of the tournament in Brazil, a familiar — if non-sporting — face mingled among the 23 players.

It was British actor Simon Brodkin, a BBC comedy star, who wore an identical gray suit to the players and also brandished a passport.

After appearing to be spotted first by captain Steven Gerrard, members of security and local police intervened. Brodkin was spoken to by a police officer before leaving the area.

In April 2013, Brodkin got a six-month conditional caution after warming up with the Manchester City team ahead of a match against Everton at Goodison Park the previous month.

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