Linfield legend William ‘Winkie' Murphy has told how he was banged up with murderers and drug dealers during his two weeks of hell in the cells of two notorious Spanish prisons.

And the former Blues captain is petrified that he may have to return to either Valdemoro or Alhaurin jails should he be found guilty of counterfeit currency charges.

Sunday Life travelled to Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol yesterday to speak exclusively to Winkie, who must remain in Spain to face the charges.

He told of us of his terrifying two weeks in two of Spain’s toughest jails and how:

l he was forced to share a wing with murderers, ETA terrorists and drug dealers;

l was given a urine-sodden blanket to sleep on;

l he is desperately missing his children Caitlan (13) and Jadyn (7), who he proudly boasts are the “loves of his life”; and

l he vowed to prove his innocence and return to Windsor Park.

An emotional Winkie said: “The hardest part of this, even harder than the jails and the cramped cells, is being here without my wife Irene, and my gorgeous kids.”

The 2007 Irish League Footballer of the Year was arrested by Spanish cops in Torremolinos on May 16.

He had only been in the sunshine resort a day when armed cops came knocking on his hotel door.

“The got me out of bed and carted me off to the police station,” said Winkie.

“When I woke up in the cell the next day all I was wearing was a t-shirt and shorts.

“They told me there was an outstanding warrant on me relating to claims I had forged notes in Spain two years ago.

“To tell you the truth I didn't have a clue what was going on. I woke up and thought it was a dream, but it wasn’t long before I realised it was a living nightmare.”

Because Winkie was arrested on a Saturday he was held in a cramped 10ft by 8ft cell with three other prisoners until a court convened on Monday.

The 35-year-old had to survive on a diet of lentils and gruel which he described as being “not fit for your dog”.

He was also given a urine-sodden blanket to sleep on at night.

“I didn't leave that cell for two days,” explained Winkie.

“It was awful.

“When I eventually went to court on Monday they moved me to Alhaurin prison near Malaga. I was locked up with another two guys, Eduardo who was in jail after getting caught with six tonnes of cannabis, and Lauren, who had been caught with 70g of cannabis.

“Almost everyone in Alhaurin is inside for drugs.

“It was 20-hour lockdown and you only got out for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. It only has a capacity for 1,500 inmates but there are about 2,500 people crammed in there.” It was on an exercise break that Winkie encountered three convicted murderers.

“They were in yard, but Eduardo and Lauren looked out for me, they made sure I stayed away from the murderers. Eduardo was good to me, even though he was in for drugs.

“I had no clothes and he loaned me some of his until I got some brought to the jail for me.”

Winkie was in Alhaurin for a week before the courts decided his case would be heard 600 miles away in Madrid.

The Guarda Civilia packed him and 23 other inmates into a prison bus before setting off on a two-day journey to the Spanish capital.

“The bus was like Con-Air on wheels.

“I was chained to a Moroccan drug dealer and shoved into this wee 1x1 metre cell on board the bus.

“We travelled for two days in that thing until we reached Madrid. The roof was only five feet so you were con

stantly hunched over and all you had was a plastic sheet to lay on.”

After arriving in Madrid the Linfield veteran was handcuffed and brought to the notorious Valdemoro Prison, which houses mass murderers, terrorist, child killers, rapists and robbers.

A lifelong Man Utd fan, Winkie spent his first night inside the jail listening to the Champions League final on his cellmates radio.

“It was surreal because you start thinking that you should be back home watching the football and doing normal things with your family and mates,” he said.

“Jail does that to you, it gives you plenty of time to think. You start to realise how good your life is and that you shouldn’t take things for granted, like your family and career.”

After a week in Valdemoro hell-hole Winkie was bailed into the custody of his uncle, William Caldwell, who lives on the Costa de Sol.

His bail conditions order him to sign on at a Spanish police station on the 1st and 15th of every month and to maintain a Spanish address.

“I went back to Belfast for a few days last week but that was to sort out personal affairs. I’m in Spain for the foreseeable future,” said Winkie.

“The worst thing about this is that you don’t know where you are at, you can’t make any plans. Because no trial date has been set I will be here for a while.”

Winkie Murphy faces up to eight years in prison if he is found guilty of introducing fake currency to Spain. He maintains his innocence, insisting that if he was guilty he would have remained in Belfast following his return home last week.

“If I was guilty I would have stayed in Belfast. But I’m determined to prove my innocence and to have my day in court. The Spaniards are saying I had €290 worth of counterfeits on me, but the charge is total madness.

“To hear them go on you would think I collapsed the Spanish economy.”

Tough bail conditions ban Winkie from working while in Spain meaning he is having to eat into savings to continue living in the country.

“This has cost me £10,000 in legal fees alone. I am seriously out of pocket,” he says.

Although he is facing an eight-year jail term Winkie is doing his best to remain upbeat.

“I’m a fighter and I am going to see this through and win,” he said.

“I will be back at Windsor Park, mark my words.”