Manchester - Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli gave £1 000 to a tramp outside a casino - after a whopping £25 000 win.

VIDEO: Mario Balotelli struggles to dress himself

According to The Sun website, Balotelli, 20, who earns £100 000 a week after signing from Inter Milan for £24 million last year, is said to often give cash to homeless people he sees around Manchester.

A source said: "Mario is really generous. He always hands £20 notes to the Big Issue sellers without even taking the magazine. There's a guy he always sees around town with ginger dreadlocks and a beard. He carries his possessions in two carrier bags.

"He was outside the club in the early hours so Mario handed him a wad of notes after his big win. The tramp couldn't believe his luck. It was enough to keep him going for months."

Balotelli has frequently hit the headlines for his off-the-pitch antics. At the weekend he had a scuffle with Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand after City's 1-0 win in the FA Cup semi-final. Last month he got an official warning for throwing darts at youth team players at his club's Carrington training ground. His fines now total £300 000 in one season.