The owner of a £4.75m mansion on Helsby Hill has denied reports he has sold his home to madcap footballer Mario Balotelli.
Entrepreneur Steve O’Connor, the majority shareholder of rugby league club Widnes Vikings, told The Chronicle his property – which has an indoor swimming pool and its own helipad – remains on the market with Chester estate agents Savills.
Rumours have been rife on social media that 24-year-old Italy striker Balotelli, who recently signed for Liverpool FC for £16m, was eyeing up the rural retreat, listed as part of Mr O’Connor’s property development company Steppingstone Group, but the tycoon said: “We have had several viewings of the property in the last few weeks and these are ongoing as the house remains on the market.
“Mario rented an apartment from us in Manchester a few years ago when he played for Manchester City and it’s from this that I suspect people have been drawn to the wrong conclusions, but all I can say is that the house is still available and that we’ve had a lot of interest.”
The quirky building, which boasts state-of-the-art technology including keyless doors and fingerprint recognition, as well as an outdoor zip-wire, adventure playground and tree house, would be quite fitting for Balotelli, who has a reputation for his bizarre antics both on and off the pitch.
Since arriving from Inter Milan in 2010, he’s been regular tabloid fodder thanks to his eccentric behaviour, which includes reportedly donating his £1,000 casino winnings to a homeless man, setting off fireworks from his bathroom window and rescuing a bullied schoolboy from his tormentor.
An online blog listing just some of his most memorable antics can be found at http://whatsbalotellidonenow.blogspot.co.uk
