Gerrard Will Plead Not Guilty To Assault

• Times (U.K.), Friday, January 23, 2009 1 PM

England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard , 28, will deny having assaulted a man during a nightclub brawl last month, a court heard Friday.

The club captain will plead not guilty to affray and assaulting company director Marcus McGee, 34, in a Merseyside nightclub shortly after Christmas. He appeared before North Sefton Magistrates in Merseyside over his alleged part in a brawl at the Lounge Inn, Southport.

The player has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray along with John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19. Gerrard was arrested in the early hours of Dec. 29 after the disturbance. McGee required hospital treatment after receiving facial injuries in the incident. The case will be heard in March.

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