Shelbourne chief executive Ollie Byrne today confirmed the club has received a preliminary takeover approach from an Italian-born lawyer who claims to have represented Saddam Hussein.

Giovanni di Stefano, a controversial figure known as the "devil's advocate", has advised former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosovich and Patrick "Dutchy" Holland, the man named in court as having shot journalist Veronica Guerin.

He has contacted the Dublin club with a view to purchasing it. "I can confirm there has been a preliminary enquiry from Giovanni di Stefano about buying the club," Byrne said this morning.

"We know very little about him and out of courtesy we have accepted an invitation to meet with him. We will approach the meeting with open minds and listen to what he has to say."

Di Stefano and his son, Michele, are believed to be travelling to Dublin for talks with Shelbourne officials this weekend.

"Our primary and overriding concern is to secure the future of Shelbourne FC which has a long and proud history," Byrne added. "We will do nothing to jeopardise that."

Board member Martin Fitzpatrick said it was too early to comment on a potential bid as no discussions have taken place.  He would, however, welcome an approach from "anyone who could defend the ethos of Shelbourne football club."

This is not the first time Di Stefano - sentenced to five years in prison for fraud in 1986 following a 78-day trial at the Old Bailey - has turned his attention to football.

In 1999 he approached former Scottish SPL side Dundee with a view to taking over, but a deal fell through. Subsequent attempts to gain controlling interests in Norwich City and Northampton Town - he has lived in Northamptonshire since 1961 - also ended in failure.

However, in 2003, and with financial ruin threatening Dundee, majority shareholders Peter and Jimmy Marr brought Di Stefano on board.

Di Stefano had promised to inject some £26 million into the club in a bid to challenge Celtic and Rangers for honours.

The Scottish League delayed rubber-stamping his appointment as club director until the SFA's general purposes committee investigated media reports concerning certain aspects of his business dealings.

In November 2003, Dundee was placed in administration with debts nearing £20 million. Di Stefano, having fallen out with the Marrs, resigned two months later.

The club argued that Di Stefano failed to arrange the funding he had promised, but the lawyer strongly refutes this. He claims he wanted to buy the club for a nominal fee and take over the debts, but the Marrs, who are still Dundee board members, were not convinced Di Stefano had the required funds in place.

Should Di Stefano successfully purchase Shelbourne, he is unlikely to play a hands-on role at the club.

When attempting to purchase Northampton he said he would not attend matches if he became owner.

"I do not know football, I do not know the rules of football," he said at the time. "I, as an amateur, must stay away because if I try and do something that I do not know anything about, it will be detrimental to the club."

Di Stefano does not claim to be friends with Saddam Hussein although he has called the former Iraqi leader a "nice man". "Saddam is not my pal," he once said. "A pal is someone who you go drinking with."

The Italian also claims to have been working on an appeal for British serial killer Dr Harold Shipman and says he briefly met Osama bin Laden in Baghdad in 1998.

Of his high-profile, controversial, client list he has said: "I deal with people who are alleged to have committed serious criminal offences. I do not defend Snow White unless she is charged with the seven perverts."