‘Bet my soul’ - Former Leeds owner passionately defends £52m Newcastle United star facing potential ban

Tonali is currently under investigation for alleged illegal betting offences that could see him handed a lengthy ban if found guilty. The 23-year-old joined Newcastle for £52million from AC Milan in the summer.

The Italian started his professional career at Brescia, making 89 appearances for the club before joining Milan.

And Cellino - who owned Championship side Leeds United from 2014 to 2017 before purchasing Brescia - has vouched for Tonali’s ‘clean’ character amid the betting allegations.

“I can bet my soul he is a clean guy with principles,” Cellino told the Daily Telegraph. “All my players in Brescia love him. The first time he had money he bought a car for his father, a carpenter.

“His mum was a nurse and he bought her a house. Dishonest? Come on. They don’t realise what they are doing to this boy.

“If Tonali does that, how many others? I don’t want to know.

“He is a top player, a clean player who wanted to become a football player, the first thing was about playing football but Milan is a city that can become very open to bad company.”

Cellino allowed Tonali to join his boyhood club AC Milan on loan following Brescia’s relegation from Serie A in 2020 - a deal that would later become permanent.

“I have always been close to him,” he added. “When I asked him to do something for me, he did it in the best way. We were relegated and I let him go on the loan with an option to Milan because I believed in him very much.

“He was lonely. He was coming back to Brescia to see his friends every week and he didn’t have his driving license so I told him ‘give me a present and take some lessons’.

“When he passed he sent me a picture. We are talking about 2020 and still he is only 23. What can I say? He is different? No, he is the same young boy.

“If he is involved in a stupid thing, it is with friends who don’t give a **** and take advantage. I would trust him 100% because that is not Sandro Tonali.”