‘I thought it was a goner’ - former Charlton and West Ham manager Alan Curbishley hailed for helping fan

A Walsall fan was left surprised and relieved after a classy act from former West Ham and Charlton manager Alan Curbishley reunited him with his wallet in the most unlikely way.

Oli Swift had been attending an Aston Martin launch event at Soho House in London last week and upon arriving at Euston station to return home to Birmingham, patted his pockets and realised his wallet had gone astray.

Accepting that his money and precious Walsall season ticket had been lost down the dark tunnels of the London Underground, the 30-year-old went about cancelling his cards as he headed home.

However, rather than being the end of Oli's wallet's life, the misplaced possession started a rather unexpected chain of events involving former Premier League manager Curbishley.

Oli said: "I thought it was a goner, I'd cancelled all my cards and that. On the Saturday, I was going to the Walsall as I normally do. My sister is a season ticket holder as well and she was with her girlfriend, who doesn't have a season ticket, so had gone to the ticket office.

"She rang me and asked if I'd lost my wallet in London as the ticket office had seen her name and said they had my wallet and that Alan Curbishley, the old Blues player and West Ham manager has found it."

Oli admitted he wasn't too sure about the chain of events that led from the footballing star finding his wallet in London to it ending up in his hands at the Poundland Bescot Stadium, although guesses that the presence of his season ticket and a Walsall FC fixture card were what prompted Curbishley to contact the club.

He said: "Of all people to do with football, how is it Alan Curbishley has found it? He's been a character in football for a while but hasn't been in the game since managing in the 2000s."

Not only did Curbishley , who made 458 professional appearances as a player at sides including Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic, return the wallet to Oli but he added a classy message too.

The handwritten note read: "Dear Oliver, hope this finds you well. I found your wallet on a tube in London. Hopefully, it has not caused you too much stress! Now you can get in to see your team!!! Best wishes, Alan Curbishley."

As an image of the note circulated online, fans heaped praise on "one of life’s gentlemen" and a "top bloke". One Twitter user added: "I would expect no less from the great man."