The Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, and
the former Newcastle United manager Alan Shearer are among those
whose private telephone messages were recorded by a private
investigator working for the News of the World, according to
sources familiar with the police investigation.
Both men are said to have left messages on the mobile phone of
Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers'
Association, who sued the newspaper last year.
Others from the world of football whose messages were collected
from Taylor's phone are believed to include a detective inspector
who was investigating an alleged crime involving a Premier League
player; journalists from other newspapers, including the News of
the World's sister paper, the Sun; and two lawyers who specialise
in working with footballers.
Messages that were intercepted are said to have referred to the
Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger; medical bills incurred by the
former England player Paul Gascoigne; the former England midfielder
Jamie Redknapp; and a prominent Premier League player who had a
cocaine problem.
The Guardian revealed that Taylor was paid more than £700,000 in
damages and costs by the News of the World's owner, Rupert
Murdoch's News Group, to settle his legal action without a public
hearing.
The settlement followed a decision by the judge who was dealing
with Taylor's case to order Scotland Yard to disclose part of its
inquiry into the case of Clive Goodman, the News of the World's
royal reporter who was jailed in January 2007 for his part in
hacking into the mobile phones of staff in the royal household.
Two other figures from the world of football also sued and were
paid a further £300,000.
guardian.co.uk