Gerrard may face five-year prison term after nightclub fracas

ENGLAND footballer Steven Gerrard was supported by his club yesterday as he faced a maximum five-year jail term if convicted of assault. Liverpool FC chiefs issued a statement offering him "all the support he needs".

Yesterday, the player was charged with actual bodily harm and affray. He is accused of assaulting businessman and part-time DJ Marcus McGee, 34, who was injured during a fight at the Lounge Inn, Southport, Merseyside.

Gerrard had been drinking in the bar – which turns into a nightclub – on Sunday evening with friends to mark Liverpool's 5-1 win over Newcastle United. Before the night was in full swing Gerrard enjoyed a chat with Kenny Dalglish. "He was signing autographs and was certainly not drunk," said a source. "He was talking to Kenny about how he could help Kenny's wife's cancer charity work."

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But trouble apparently flared in the early hours and the player was arrested with five other men. He was charged along with John Doran, 29, and Ian Gerard Smith, 19, both of Huyton, where Gerrard grew up. McGee allegedly lost a tooth in the fight and needed several stitches to a face wound. The extent of Gerrard's alleged involvement is unclear. In the hours after the incident, blood was seen on the club floor, along with shattered glass.

Gerrard remained silent yesterday as he rested at home in Formby, near Southport, with his wife, Alex Curran, 26. The couple left at 1:15pm in their Range Rover. Gerrard will attend North Sefton Magistrates' Court in Southport on 23 January.