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Manchester City have hired the lawyer who twice blocked Brexit to keep them in Europe.

David Pannick, a leading QC who is recognised one of the country's most brilliant legal minds, will represent the Premier League champions in their bid to have their two-year UEFA ban from the Champions League and £25million fine overturned on appeal.

The 63-year-old, who became Baron Pannick of Radlett when he was awarded a life peerage in 2008, successfully represented Gina Miller when she won her legal challenge to prevent Theresa May from taking the UK out of the European Union without parliamentary consent two years ago.

He also prevailed when Mrs Miller took a case to the UK supreme court claiming that prime minister Boris Johnson had given unlawful advice to the Queen in his bid to prorogue parliament last September.

It will cost City around £20,000-a-day to retain Baron Pannick's services.

(Image: West Ham United FC via Getty Ima)

That puts him in the same £100,000-a-week wage bracket as City stars like John Stones and Gabriel Jesus.

Lord Pannick is a specialist in human rights and constitutional law.

It will be money well spent if City win their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.

The Blues will miss out on £200million prize money and TV revenues alone if the UEFA ban is upheld.

But the club have not ruled out taking their case to the civil courts – and have already armed themselves for the possibility by retaining the services of Geneva-based Kellerhals Carrard if they are ultimately forced to go to the Swiss Federal Court.

Oxford-educated Lord Pannick, who is based at the renowned Blackstone Chambers in London, was recently featured in the Lawyer Hot 100, which recognises the “most daring, innovative and creative lawyers” of the previous 12 months.

The elite silk will form part of a daunting City legal team that also includes legal powerhouses Freshfields, Bruckhaus Deringer, Pinsent Masons and Monkton Chambers.

Lord Pannick has successfully represented City before.

In January 2013, he appeared before the Appeal Court to force former manager Joe Royle to pay back £467,000 in compensation and legal costs following his sacking 12 years earlier.