Louis Tomlinson was unknowingly caught in the middle of a pension fraud scheme linked to an attempted takeover of Doncaster Rovers.

The former One Direction singer became the face of a crowdfunding campaign in 2014 that aimed to raise six million pounds. 

At the height of his fame, the singer dreamed of helping his hometown club become a real force.

But Leeds Crown Court was told the investors who promised half a million pounds were part of a gang stealing from pensioners. 

However, prosecutors said Irish businessman Kevin Phelan worked with Daniel Giles and Adrian Bashforth to pour stolen life savings into the deal.

The fraudsters later met Louis at his Cheshire home and in Dublin, where a deal was signed with Belize based Sequentia Capital SA. 

Court papers said the company’s funds came from pension fraud, with victims losing their life savings.

The crowdfunding campaign raised only £600,000 and the takeover collapsed.

Louis later said he was “absolutely gutted” and felt misled, as he explained he never wanted to make money from the deal, only to help his club.

For the unversed, three men involved now await sentencing in January and face long prison terms.