A physical education (PE) teacher has been banned from teaching after falsely claiming he had played for two prominent football clubs to secure his job, only to be exposed by students.
Aaron Smith, 44, from the Wirral, repeatedly provided false information about his work history when applying for teaching positions. A misconduct panel from the Teaching Regulation Agency determined that he had falsely stated that he was a professional footballer at Leicester City from June 2000 to December 2001 and had been associated with West Bromwich Albion as a pro and apprentice from 1997 to 2000. Smith also claimed to have represented England Schoolboys at the under-15 level and to have played for Leicester and Albion in the English Football League (EFL) between the ages of 11 and 20.
Furthermore, Smith fabricated team sheets by adding his name among England youth team players and a Leicester youth side. He even edited a photo of the current team with his face to deceive students.
His deceit came to light in February 2016 when he delivered an assembly discussing his supposed career as a professional football player at Leicester. However, his online absence raised doubts among pupils and parents, leading to the exposure of his lies.
Subsequently, Smith joined the Co-Op Academy in Bebington, Wirral, as a PE teacher in 2016. In 2021, he frequently missed work and fabricated names of non-existent medical professionals he claimed to be visiting.
Following the investigation, the panel concluded that Smith’s dishonesty warranted a ban from teaching for a minimum of five years.
