'I lived with Jason Statham when I was 17 but we haven't spoke in years. I'd love to give Hollywood a go. Imagine that, Dion Dublin action hero!' Former Aston Villa and Manchester United striker reveals incredible film star connection

Former Premier League striker Dion Dublin has dropped a remarkable bombshell by revealing that he used to live with Hollywood action superstar Jason Statham when they were both seventeen years old. Speaking on a recent podcast appearance, the former Aston Villa and Manchester United goalscorer admitted the pair shared a flat in Great Yarmouth during their youth before their respective careers took them in drastically different directions. Dublin joked that he would love to test the waters in the movie industry himself, imagining a future where he transitions from banging in goals on Match of the Day to starring on the silver screen as an unlikely Hollywood tough guy.

Before his transition into a successful television presenter on Homes Under the Hammer and a respected football pundit, Dublin enjoyed a prolific playing career in English football. He scored 111 Premier League goals, earning four England caps and winning the Golden Boot during the 1997-98 season with Coventry City before making a high-profile £5.75 million move to Manchester United in 1994. Meanwhile, Statham carved out an entirely different path away from sports, initially competing internationally as a diver for Great Britain before catching his big break in Guy Ritchie's iconic 1998 crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, launching a blockbuster career featuring franchises like The Transporter and Fast & Furious.

While a Hollywood crossover for the iconic inventor of the Dube musical instrument remains unlikely at this stage, Dublin’s incredible anecdote highlights just how unpredictable the early lives of top-flight athletes can be. The former Cambridge United and Norwich City fan favourite is currently focused on his extensive media commitments across the BBC and Sky Sports, remaining a prominent voice in modern football coverage. Even though Dublin and Statham have not spoken in many years, this fascinating glimpse into their shared past in Norfolk proves that truth is often stranger than fiction in the worlds of elite sport and entertainment.