Gerrard charged with assault after incident at bar

LONDON: Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was charged with assault and affray by police early on Tuesday over a brawl outside a bar that left a disk jockey hospitalized with facial injuries.
Merseyside police officers took the decision 24 hours after the England midfielder was arrested in Southport while celebrating Liverpool's emphatic 5-1 victory at Newcastle on Sunday that extended its lead atop the Premier League to three points.

The 28-year-old Gerrard was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray, an offense that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.

He was released on bail to appear in court on January 23, 2009 with John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19, who were charged with the same offenses.

Three other men, who were arrested with Gerrard on Monday morning, were released without charge on police bail pending further inquiries.

Liverpool, which next faces Preston on Saturday in the FA Cup, was making no comment.

In the altercation outside the Lounge Inn, the bar's 34-year-old DJ had a tooth broken and sustained cuts to his forehead, although he was later released from hospital, a police official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to release the information.

Officers only began interviewing the suspects on Monday afternoon and Gerrard's wife Alex Curran was seen near the police station but drove off without answering reporters' questions.

Spots of blood and shards of broken glass were visible on the floor of the venue, which was closed on Monday.

The modern restaurant, which becomes a nightclub later in the evening, in the seaside town of Southport is less than 10 miles from Gerrard's home of Formby in Merseyside.

The other men arrested, who are not believed to be footballers, were from the Huyton area of Merseyside, where Gerrard was brought up and spotted by Liverpool scouts at the age of eight while playing for Whiston Juniors.

Gerrard is Liverpool's most influential player and crucial to its bid to win the English league title for the first time since 1990, scoring twice and setting up another goal in Sunday's victory at Newcastle.

Manager Rafa Benitez hailed his talisman's maturity last month.

"He is an example to everyone," Benitez said. "He always trains hard and is a good professional. He is always committed on the pitch, it is a kind of leadership that all captains should aspire to."

Gerrard, who has played 70 matches for England, led Liverpool to the Champions League title in 2005, which prompted his appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

His status as one of the world's best midfielders was recognized by his fellow international professionals in October when he was named in FIFPro's team-of-the-year lineup.