Ex-Chelsea and West Brom star is named after arrest in drugs raid | OneFootball

Former defender Neil Clement is reportedly at the centre of a police operation on Spain's Costa del Sol

Former West Bromwich Albion favourite and Chelsea schoolboy Neil Clement is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The versatile defender made close to 300 appearances as a Baggie, after joining permanently from Chelsea in 2000 following a successful loan spell.

Clement, who only made one appearance for The Blues, stayed in the Black Country for a decade and achieved three promotions at The Hawthorns, before being forced to retire due to a long-term knee injury at the age of 31.

Now though, he is reportedly at the centre of a police operation on Spain's Costa del Sol.

Ex-Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion star Neil Clement arrested in drugs raid

Local reports in Spain, via The Sun, have now named Clement as the former professional footballer arrested following a major drugs raid at a so-called marijuana club in Mijas, close to Marbella, earlier this month.

Police are said to have become suspicious after monitoring a steady flow of people entering and leaving an establishment at the Las Terrazas Shopping Centre in Riviera del Sol on the 10th March.

Officers then reportedly stopped one customer leaving the premises and discovered a heat-sealed bag containing cannabis, with the individual allegedly telling police it had just been purchased inside the club.

That triggered a search of the venue, known locally as Doobiez, where a significant quantity of what is alleged to be cannabis, hashish and pre-rolled joints was seized, along with cash, jars, packaging and weighing scales associated with the preparation and sale of drugs.

Clement, described in Spanish media as the person in charge of the premises, was then detained on suspicion of an offence against public health before being handed over to the Civil Guard for further investigation.

A court official has since confirmed that the former defender has appeared before a judge, been placed under official investigation and released on bail, with conditions that include signing on at court twice a month while the case continues.

Clement has previously faced some disciplinary action in a separate matter when he received a lengthy 15-year ban from horse racing in 2013 for breaches of betting rules.

The exact amount of drugs and cash seized at Neil Clement's reportedly illegal property

The deputy mayor of Mijas, Juan Carlos Cuevas, later revealed the exact amount of drugs and cash seized at Neil Clement’s reported illegal property.

Cuevas claimed as per The Sun report, "During the police operation, two bags of cannabis weighing 489 and 681 grams respectively were seized. A bag of hashish resin weighing 865 grams and 164 cannabis cigarettes was also found ready for sale."

He added, "Officers also seized 79 glass jars, 23 plastic jars, bags containing compartments for cannabis cigarettes, heat-sealed envelopes and two precision digital scales, as well as €3,469.90 and £225 in cash."

For many West Brom supporters in particular, the news may come as a huge shock given Clement’s status at the club. He won Player of the Season for the 00/01 campaign, and was integral again the following year as the Baggies secured a return to the top-flight.

When retiring, he expressed huge gratitude to West Brom and their supporters, saying, "I want to say a massive thank you to everyone at the club and, of course, the fans for all their support over the past decade."