Carew texted threat to Berg

Henning Berg reveals in his new book that John Carew threatened him via a text message

Henning Berg's new autobiography contains revelations that the former Manchester United and Norway defender received threatening text messages from Norway striker John Carew, saying that Berg was "playing with fire".

The messages were sent some six weeks after Carew had been involved in a brawl with John Arne Riise, while the trio were on international duty.

At the time Berg, who was the Norwegian skipper, wanted Carew to make an apology. Instead, the striker returned to his then club Roma before the argument was resolved.

Carew was furious when his colleagues subsequently spoke to the media about the incident, to the extent of sending Berg an angry SMS message.

"This is the last time you talk about me in the paper," it began.

"You, all of you, the whole national team is a bunch of cr*p. And don't you imagine that I care about your opinion of me.

"You got to believe that you are something, that you are important - you have never been at that level," Carew raged.

"You don't know what you are. You are a damn amateur that you don't know what you are talking about. What a fool!"

Berg responded by claiming that Carew had brought the situation upon himself.

"You would have made it easier for yourself if you had answered the phone as soon as Nils Johan Semb (the then Norway boss) called you," he said.

Carew replied in what Berg perceived to be a threatening manner.

"Easier for me? What is it that little you, little Nils and you other amateurs think you mean?" the 6ft 4ins striker demanded.

"And a warning: watch out, you're playing with fire."

The book will be published in Norway on Saturday.