SHEFFIELD UNITED owner Prince Abdullah has sparked fury by describing the Bin Ladens as being a "really good family".

Saudi Abdullah was revealed to have taken a loan from the Bin Laden family during his court battle with former business partner Kevin McCabe.

And Prince Abdullah claimed he gets "offended" when people speak ill of the clan – suggesting 9/11 mastermind Osama was just their "black sheep".

The Bin Laden family have been intimately connected to the Saudi royal family since the 1950s when the terrorist's dad Muhammad Bin Laden began carrying out major construction work for them.

By the time he died in 1967, his company was one of the wealthiest and largest construction firms in the Middle East and the family had established themselves in the royals' inner-most circle.

They disowned terrorist son Osama in the mid 1990s, according to Prince Abdullah.

Now, after revealing the Bin Ladens looked at buying a stake in Sheffield United, Prince Abdullah also said: “I get offended when people think Bin Laden is a bad name.

“It’s a really good family. It had a black sheep as most families do but it’s a really respectable family and if I do business with them again, I’d be happy to.

“It’s not a disgraced name. I was trying to help Kevin sell his shares, I never put mine for sale.

"The family were looking to buy Kevin’s shares, and the million they put was a down-payment to give them time to do due diligence.

"If they decided not to buy, the money was to be used as a loan for a year without any interest.

“I’m usually tolerant but when people talk about Bin Laden as a dirty family I get offended.

"It’s not my family to support but I think it’s the right thing to say.”

'SICK JOKE'

Football fans have taken to Twitter to vent their fury at the owner's comments.

Brooks Hales wrote: "Is that an actual joke? The US just killed his son who was also evil. Deluded."

Another wrote: "Is this a sick joke????"

Al-Qaeda leader Osama was once named the world's most wanted man after plotting the 9/11 attacks against the US in 2001 – which killed close to 3,000 people.

He was tracked down to the Abbottobad compound nearly ten years after the atrocity and killed in a hit by US Navy SEALS on 2 May 2011, aged 54. His body was later buried at sea.

His son Hamza – dubbed the Crown Prince of Jihad – was killed in a US counter-terrorism operation last month.

The terror chief – the 15th of Osama's 56 children – was believed to be in hiding in Pakistan, Afghanistan or possibly even Iran.

A $1million bounty was put on his head in February over fears he was becoming a terror figurehead.

In a State Department briefing, Hamza had been described as an "emerging leader" in Al-Qaeda after he had called for attacks on the West.

It was claimed he wanted revenge for the killing of his father Osama.

Last August it was revealed Hamza had married the daughter of Mohammed Atta – the lead hijacker in the massacre.

SHEFFIELD UTD FEARS

McCabe was forced to sell his 50 per cent stake in the Premier League club after a High Court ruling.

The lifelong Sheffield United fan has poured over £100million into the club over the years and has claimed he regrets selling half of the club to Prince Abdullah in 2013.

McCabe revealed: "I have hesitation and concern over the overall management of the club off the field, and more particularly management on the field.

"I question whether [Prince Abdullah] has the suitability to be the right guy to lead as the owner of Sheffield United."

But Prince Abdullah hit back saying: "When fans look back in four or five years' time, they'll be happy.

"In every decision we face, we will make sure we do the best for the club.

"I'm going to invest heavily in the academy and we have a great working relationship with manager Chris Wilder.

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"I know I'll do well, and I ask fans to give me an opportunity and will make them proud."

The prince and McCabe fell out in 2017 after the latter attempted to buy the Saudi's 50 per cent stake back.

After losing his battle in court, McCabe has revealed he will consider an appeal.

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