Former Inter Milan coach Mircea Lucescu believes Taribo West WAS older than he claimed when he was with the Nerazzurri.

This week Partizan Belgrade claimed they discovered Nigerian defender West was 12 years older than he said he was when signing for them.

"West was not an important player for me," Lucescu said of the 1998-99 campaign.

"He was so uncoordinated he'd fall over and we all laughed. I didn't have a good rapport with West and I wouldn't play him after he threw his jersey on the ground against Vicenza.

"I did not consider him to be an important player. He then went to Milan, I can't figure out why. You'd have to ask Milan why they signed him....

"When I read the story about his age I couldn't believe it, as 12 years is a lot. How did they manage to not realise earlier?"