Vinnie Jones says his 'wheeler-dealer past' makes him perfect for Only Fools And Horses role

Footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones is buzzing to join 'Only Fools And Horses: The Musical', claiming his past "wheeler-dealing" antics make him a perfect fit for the show.

The ex-footballer and actor, aged 59, is set to play mob boss Danny Driscoll in a 28-show run at London's Hammersmith Eventim Apollo starting December 17. The musical is inspired by the legendary BBC series, which starred Sir David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst as the market-savvy Trotter brothers.

Vinnie has opened up about his own days of flogging "knock off" merchandise to his old Wimbledon pals, mirroring Del Boy's market hustles. Chatting with The Sun, he reminisced: "I love a bit of wheeler-dealing, you don't forget where you come from. Pairs of knocked-off Gucci shoes in different sizes, sheepskin coats, what­ever we could get hold of - we were all at it." He sourced his shady stock from a well-known dodgy dealer back in the day, even once palming off "hooky" tables and rapid-fire toasters to his mates.

However, Vinnie ended up out of pocket when the lads demanded refunds after finding the tables were missing a leg and the toasters launched toast like missiles. He recounted: "I took these tables, mahogany-looking things, and white toasters to the training ground and knocked them all out to the lads. Bought them for £3, sold them for a fiver - lovely."

Vinnie has revealed that he was once left with a hefty bill after a disastrous business venture selling faulty toasters and tables. In a comical anecdote, he explained: "Anyway, I later found out all the nests of tables had a leg missing, in every box, and the toasters - the spring was so strong they'd shoot out and hit the roof. One of the players got one for his mum for Christmas and they'd just decorated the kitchen and the toast comes out, 'Bang! ' and it's all black on the ceiling. So I had a bill for the decorator and ended up with all the toasters and tables back. It cost me a fortune."

The former footballer, who stands at 6ft 1in, has also drawn comparisons between his own 'little and large' football partnership with 5ft 6in Dennis Wise and the notorious Driscoll Brothers from the TV series 'Only Fools'. He said: "There's a little bit of this with my football, with me and Wisey, don't forget. I was with Wisey all day Saturday - we're still great mates, very close. When we played at Wimbledon in the Cup Final, we were very much the Driscoll Brothers. It would have got mentioned some-where down the line."

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , and Threads

READ MORE: Abbott Lyon launches 'extra special' advent calendar packed with jewellery bestsellers