Football agent Scott McGarvey has said the meeting he arranged for Sam Allardyce with what turned out to be a fictitious firm was arranged in good faith, according to his solicitor.
English football has been thrown into a tailspin after national team manager Allardyce appeared to make a string of controversial comments to undercover Daily Telegraph reporters during secretly-filmed conversations.
McGarvey is said by his solicitor to have been "shocked" by the turn of events, with the former Manchester United player adamant he has not engaged in any wrongdoing.
Allardyce's position with the Football Association appeared to be in jeopardy on Tuesday as a result of the sting.
The Daily Telegraph claims the first meeting was organised by McGarvey at the May Fair Hotel in London on August 19.
The agent was said by the newspaper to be involved when Allardyce met two undercover reporters posing as businessmen last week, with the England boss expressing his discomfort when, according to the Telegraph, McGarvey turned the subject to paying people to secure business.
Allardyce is shown putting a napkin over his head and calling the agent a "stupid man". Later in the meal, McGarvey is reported to say "no, no I wouldn't go down there" in reference to paying individuals.
Graham Small, a partner at Manchester-based JMW Solicitors, representing McGarvey, said his client had been "naive" and is denying comments being attributed to him.
"Mr McGarvey has admitted being eager to impress what he believed to be prospective employers and, in doing so, had perhaps embellished certain comments made during the meetings in question," Small said in a statement released to Press Association Sport.
"However, he vehemently denies making remarks which are being attributed to him. Some, including his apparently having done business with certain club managers, are simply not borne out by fact.
"Mr McGarvey had merely helped arrange meetings in good faith to further what he believed to be a legitimate business venture.
"He was so convinced by the job offer made to him that, far from profiting from these exchanges, he even incurred debts trying to support the development of the new project.
"As soon as a series of allegations were put to him, he responded immediately and in full and, furthermore, has made clear his willingness to help those leading the investigation announced by the Football Association establish the truth of what happened.
"Given that he is still involved in the football industry, he is rightly concerned about the possibility of his good name being impugned and he intends to vigorously defend his reputation."
Source: PA
