Burton Albion footballer Kelvin Maynard 'may have been shot dead in revenge for cocaine heist'

  • Ex-Burton Albion player Kelvin Maynard was attacked as he drove in Amsterdam
  • Footballer shot dead after being chased by two armed men on a black scooter
  • He tried to escape by heading towards a fire station but crashed into the building
  • Dutch police hunting two gunmen who escaped from scene in Langbroekdreef

Former Burton Albion footballer Kelvin Maynard may have been killed in revenge for a cocaine heist.  

Dutch authorities are now investigating whether his death on Wednesday could have been motivated by a 400kg cocaine heist after a selfie of Maynard clutching an enormous wad of 50 Euro notes emerged on social media.  

Police believe the selfie could hold a vital clue as to why the 32-year-old defender was shot dead in Amsterdam by assailants on motorbikes on Wednesday evening, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.  

Police now suspect the footballer played a part in stealing 400kg cocaine from a dealer. 

Dutch authorities are now investigating whether his death on Wednesday could have been motivated by a 400kg cocaine heist after Maynard took a selfie which shows him clutching an enormous wad of 50 Euro notes

Dutch authorities are now investigating whether his death on Wednesday could have been motivated by a 400kg cocaine heist after Maynard took a selfie which shows him clutching an enormous wad of 50 Euro notes

An expert inspects a car at the scene where former Dutch professional soccer player Kelvin Maynard was shot dead in Amsterdam on September 18, above and below

An expert inspects a car at the scene where former Dutch professional soccer player Kelvin Maynard was shot dead in Amsterdam on September 18, above and below

Dutch police are appealing for witnesses in the hunt for two suspects who Dutch authorities say escaped on a black scooter

Dutch police are appealing for witnesses in the hunt for two suspects who Dutch authorities say escaped on a black scooter

The picture began circulating on social media the day after he was killed.  

Maynard was gunned down in his car in Amsterdam after being chased by two armed men on motorbikes in the Langbroekdreef area of the city on Wednesday night.

Dutch police are appealing for witnesses in the hunt for two suspects who Dutch authorities say escaped on a black scooter.

Maynard was trying to flee the gunmen by driving towards a nearby fire station, but he crashed into the building.

Witnesses say the defender tried to get away but got caught by a hail of bullets from his attackers, according to De Telegraaf.   

Kelvin Maynard playing in a pre season friendly match between Burton Albion and Leicester City at Pirelli Stadium in 2015

Kelvin Maynard playing in a pre season friendly match between Burton Albion and Leicester City at Pirelli Stadium in 2015

Maynard's car was seen crashed into a fire station after he was repeatedly shot at as he drove through the Langbroekdreef area of Amsterdam

Maynard's car was seen crashed into a fire station after he was repeatedly shot at as he drove through the Langbroekdreef area of Amsterdam 

A police car parked outside the fire station in Amsterdam, where Maynard's car hit the facade after the shooting on Wednesday night

A police car parked outside the fire station in Amsterdam, where Maynard's car hit the facade after the shooting on Wednesday night

Paramedics were unable to resuscitate him and officers from the fire station also battled to help Maynard, but he later died of his injuries, according to local media.  

A police spokesman said: 'We can confirm that the fatal victim of the shooting incident on Langbroekdreef last night was 32-year-old Kelvin Maynard.

'The investigation into his death is in full swing.'

Dutch-Surinamese player Maynard, spent time at Royal Antwerp in Belgium and was at non-league club Alphense Boys, around 28 miles (45km) south of Amsterdam.

His club said on its website: 'Our deepest condolences go to the wife and children of Kelvin, his family and friends.'

The club's match against Hollandia, which was due to be played on Saturday night, has been postponed. 

Maynard joined Burton in November 2014 following Dutchman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's appointment as manager. 

Kevin Maynard (right) celebrating winning the championship with his teammates at Dutch side FC Volendam in 2008

Kevin Maynard (right) celebrating winning the championship with his teammates at Dutch side FC Volendam in 2008

Former Burton Albion and Antwerp footballer Kelvin Maynard was shot and killed in Amsterdam. He is pictured (above) during a pre-season game in July 2015 against the eventual Premier League winners that season, Leicester City

Former Burton Albion and Antwerp footballer Kelvin Maynard was shot and killed in Amsterdam. He is pictured (above) during a pre-season game in July 2015 against the eventual Premier League winners that season, Leicester City 

Burton said in a statement: 'Everyone at Burton Albion is saddened to learn of the tragic death of our former player Kelvin Maynard. 

'Our sympathies go out to all his family and friends at this difficult time.' 

In a tweet the club added: 'During his time at #BAFC, Kevin was fantastic out in the local community on many projects.' 

Joop Gall, who coached Maynard at FC Emmen, expressed his shock at hearing the news of his death.

He told Dutch newspaper Dagblad van het Noorden: 'I am lost for words. Has he been murdered? I can't comprehend what happened. I obviously don't know what he did outside of the game, but he was a great guy. Very friendly.'

On his arrival in England in 2014, Maynard said: 'I'm very excited. It was always a dream for me to play in England. We got promoted last year and we can now look forward to playing in League One.' 

Forensic police investigate the scene at a fire station in Amsterdam where a car hit the facade after footballer Kevin Maynard was gunned down

Forensic police investigate the scene at a fire station in Amsterdam where a car hit the facade after footballer Kevin Maynard was gunned down

He scored one goal for Burton but only featured in 10 matches as injury blighted his time at the Brewers.

However the team won the 2014/15 League Two title and were promoted to the Championship, but Maynard was ruled out for the following campaign after suffering a knee injury in a pre-season game.

Maynard left Burton in January 2017 to join Dutch side SV Spakenburg.  

The defender also played for Kecskemet, FC Volendam and Olhanense, Quick Boys, Portugal's Sporting Clube Olhanense and Hungary's Kecskemeti TE.

Maynard's murder came on the same day a prominent Dutch lawyer, involved in a case against a gang accused of drug-related killings, was gunned down in front of his Amsterdam home. 

Police said they do not believe the two killings are linked, but will consider the possibility during their investigations. 

Alarm has been growing over crime in Amsterdam, a city of 800,000 people where recreational drug use has long been tolerated by law enforcement, creating an underworld of dealers and suppliers which sometimes fuels violence. 

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