Dale Gordon played for the Canaries for seven years, having grown up in Great Yarmouth, and moved out to Dubai 14 years ago, where he runs a football academy.

The 59-year-old said he was attending an annual golf event with ex-England and Scotland footballers at a hotel next to Jebel Ali Port when it was targeted by the Iranian military.

Firemen and rescue workers inspect the site of an explosion at the Fairmont The Palm Hotel in Dubai (Image: AP Photo/Altaf Qadri))

"Over the weekend, it was quite a scary environment," he said.

"We were casually having some beverages next to the beach, and all of a sudden, the loud bangs started to happen.

"I could see the port in the distance and it was full of smoke.

"My girlfriend called me and said 'I think you better get home', as we did, another explosion went off, a missile went into the port.

"The fumes and the fire were there to be seen.

"Luckily, we got home safely - it's been a bit of a testing time for everybody."

Dale Gordon playing for Norwich City (Image: Newsquest)

Iran launched missile and drone attacks across the Gulf over the weekend in retaliation for strikes from the US and Israel.

Fighting intensified following the death of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

In the early hours of Sunday, the Dubai Media Office said four people were wounded in an "incident" at Dubai International Airport.

The airport's concourse had "minor damage", the office added without elaborating.

Tens of thousands of people are stranded across the Middle East as the war has seen flights grounded at some of the world's busiest airports.

Some of those who are stuck have been forced to seek shelter amid air strikes, while others are stuck on cruise ships that currently cannot sail through the Strait of Hormuz.

A handful of flights will bring British nationals stranded back to the UK on Tuesday, but the majority of departures from the region remain cancelled.

© Norwich Evening News