Everton legend Adrian Heath admits he is lucky to be alive after being kidnapped and threatened with a knife after being lured to Morocco to interview for a fake managerial position.
Heath won two First Division titles and the FA Cup during his time at Everton, with his playing career also including spells at Stoke, Man City and Burnley.
He embarked on a coaching career following his retirement from playing, which has included roles in English football and in the United States.
Heath, speaking to the Athletic, explained that he had been offered the chance to interview for a job in Saudi Arabia in late 2024.
Heath, now 65, was invited to meet ‘the sheikh’ behind the club in Morocco, where he was claimed to have ‘several hotels and businesses’.
Upon arrival had had been given flowers by two men, who invited him to the enter a car. Rather than take him to a five-star beach front hotel, Heath grew concerned when he was taken to a harbour town and taken into an apartment.
Everton legend Adrian Heath revealed he was kidnapped with a six-figure ransom demanded after he lured to Morocco for a fake job interview in 2024
Heath explained that three men then issued him with a demand to be paid a six-figure sum and took his watch and wallet.
Heath said one of the men told him: ‘You obviously realise that this isn’t what you thought it was going to be. ‘This is how it’s going to work: You’re going to send us money.’
‘And if you don’t, you won’t see your wife again. You won’t see your two kids and your grandkids.’
After telling them his wife Jane would be unable to send the money due to it being at the end of the working day in the United States, Heath said he was threatened with a knife.
When a call took place, Jane stated that she would be unable to transfer money due to Heath being the lead name on their bank account, preventing her from doing it without him.
Heath’s captors made a reduction to the requested sum – but still in the six figures – after an argument having hung up on the initial call.
After Jane stuck with the story, she contacted their son Harrison and his wife Kaylyn Kyle, a former Canadian international women’s star.
Kyle instructed Jane to use the ‘find my friends’ app on the phone, which helped them to discover where Heath was being held after his captors failed to turn off location services on his phone.
Heath, 65, admitted he considers himself lucky to be alive following the ordeal
Harrison was then said to have had an ‘aggressive’ call with the agent who had set up the meeting, while he also a contact who worked for the FBI.
Heath said that it was as it a ‘light switch was flicked’ when his kidnappers had been made aware that his family knew the location where he was held.
He was then taken to the outskirts of the airport, where he was ordered to get out of the car. Heath said he ran to the airport and immediately bought a ticket to Madrid, where he then made his way home to the United States.
‘It was like the longest and quickest three days of my life,’ Heath said.
‘It gives everyone a chance to re-evaluate their life and what’s actually important. And the only important thing is your family. Everything else is secondary.’
The Everton legend’s case is reportedly being investigated by the FBI, who were said to have provided his family 28 days of security after the kidnapping, as well as the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Heath was later informed by the FBI that another manager had suffered from the same experience.
After reporting his ordeal to the League Managers Association, a new protocol was reportedly introduced. The protocol will allow managers to run offers and potential interviews through the national federation of that country, which could then confirm detials.
