Steven Gerrard, the captain of English Premier League leaders Liverpool, was charged on Tuesday with assault and affray over an alleged bar brawl, police told Agence France-Presse.
The football star (28) was charged along with two other men who were also arrested on Monday after an incident at a late-night bar in Southport, north of Liverpool in north-west England.
The venue’s disc jockey, a 34-year-old local man, required hospital treatment after suffering facial injuries.
”He was charged in the early hours of this morning with assault and affray,” said a spokesperson for Merseyside police.
The England midfielder was released on bail from Southport police station early on Tuesday.
The disturbance occurred hours after Liverpool won 5-1 at Newcastle United on Sunday, with Gerrard scoring two goals.
”Merseyside police has charged Steven Gerrard (28) of Formby, Sefton, John Doran (29) and Ian Smith (19), both from Huyton, Liverpool, with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray following an incident at Bold Street in Southport in the early hours of Monday, December 29,” the local police force said in a statement.
”The three men will be appearing at North Sefton Magistrates’ Court on January 23.”
Gerrard, Doran and Smith have been bailed, while three other men who were arrested in connection with the incident — aged 33, 31 and 18 — have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.
Gerrard was arrested at around 2.30am after a disturbance at the Lounge Inn, a restaurant on Southport’s Bold Street which doubles up as a music venue.
The town centre bar was closed on Monday but shards of broken glass were visible on the floor.
Southport, a prosperous seaside town, is known as somewhere where footballers from nearby Premier League teams go to socialise.
Liverpool Football Club has not commented thus far.
The Reds head into the New Year with a three-point lead over Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool won the last of their record 18 English titles in 1990 and keeping star player Gerrard fit and available is widely considered essential if they are to win the Premier League this season.
Speaking after the Newcastle victory, Gerrard said: ”This is the best team I have played with.
”If we want to stay at the top and be involved in this title race we have got to deal with the pressure.”
Gerrard has played 70 times for England and has occasionally captained his country.
Born in the Liverpool suburb of Huyton, Gerrard has only ever played professional club football for Liverpool, for whom he made his debut in 1998.
Three years ago he inspired the team to come from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Italian side AC Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul, as Liverpool reclaimed European club football’s most prestigious trophy.
Last year Gerrard signed a contract keeping him at Anfield until 2011 and this October saw him score his 100th goal for the Reds. – AFP
