Liverpool and England star Steven Gerrard could face up to five years in jail after being charged with assault and affray today following a nightclub brawl.
The 28-year-old Liverpool captain was arrested along with five other men near the Lounge Inn in Southport in the early hours of Monday.
He was charged this morning along with two other men who had also been arrested after the altercation.
The venue's DJ, 34-year-old Marcus McGee, required hospital treatment after suffering facial injuries.
Gerrard, 28, was released from Southport police station early this morning.
He was at the restaurant and bar - which turns into a nightclub - with friends to celebrate Liverpool's 5-1 destruction of Newcastle United.
In a statement, a Merseyside Police spokesman said: 'Merseyside Police has charged Steven Gerrard, 28 years, of Formby, Sefton, John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19 years, 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 three men will be appearing at North Sefton Magistrates' Court on January 23.'
The spokesman said Gerrard and the two other men had been bailed and three other men, aged 18, 31 and 33, who were arrested in connection with the incident were bailed pending further inquiries.
After the game on Sunday the Reds' captain, who scored twice, hailed his table-topping side as the best he has played in.
But several hours later he was apparently caught up in a brawl outside the Lounge Inn in Bold Street.
Police were called and arrested six men on suspicion of assault in nearby Lord Street.
The town centre business remained shut yesterday but evidence of a fight inside could be seen through the windows.
Earlier in the night, the 28-year-old father of two looked happy and relaxed as he posed for photographs with fans. Yet soon afterwards he was in a cell accused of taking part in a violent assault.
Mr. McGee, 34, lost a tooth and suffered cuts and bruises when he was allegedly set upon by the footballer and his friends after refusing to play Gerrard's favourite song while acting as a DJ in a bar in Southport, Merseyside.
Witnesses of the alleged attack said Mr. McGee, a Manchester United fan, was in charge of a card which allowed the music to be changed.
They claimed Gerrard asked for a particular tune but was told that it was not club policy to play requests.
At that point the footballer allegedly pushed past Mr McGee, catching him with an elbow.
A police source said: 'Mr. McGee retaliated and swore at Gerrard, which was when Gerrard's mates turned violent and assaulted him.'
Friends of the England star insisted he had been reacting to provocation and had thrown no punches himself. Mr. McGee, a father of two who runs a double glazing firm, was taken to hospital where he received four stitches to his forehead and treatment on a cut nose, swollen eye and a dislodged tooth.
A witness told the Sun newspaper there had been bad feeling in the bar earlier. He said: 'Marcus came into the bar with two friends and some time later Gerrard walked in. One of Gerrard's mates had had a dispute with one of Marcus's pals and they eyeballed each other.
'Marcus stepped in a peacemaker and it calmed down for a while. Everyone was drinking and having a good time, but when Marcus's mates left, he was on his own and that's when he and Gerrard started rowing by the dance floor.'
The bar was closed for much of yesterday while damage from the 2am brawl was cleared up. Spots of blood were clearly visible on the floor.
Gerrard and five friends - all but one from the tough working class Huyton area where he grew up - were arrested on suspicion of assault and ordered to spend the night in the cells at the town's police station.
It is understood that questioning did not begin until Monday afternoon.
Gerrard's glamorous wife, model Alex Curran, 26, arrived during the afternoon wearing grey jeans, black boots and a black fur-trimmed leather jacket.
She was herself questioned by police following a fight in the Shangri-La restaurant in Liverpool in August 2006, but no charges were brought.
After leaving a coffee shop near the police station she refused to answer questions before driving off in her Bentley.
Another Bentley with a personalised number plate which was parked outside the Lounge Inn with a parking ticket on the windscreen was later picked up by a friend of Gerrard.
Neither the player's agent nor his club released any statement about the incident yesterday as they waited to find out whether he would be charged.
Gerrard used to have a flat in Southport but his rising profile made him a target on nights out and he moved into a £ 3million gated mansion in nearby Formby.
He returned to his old haunts, however, following Sunday's victory, after which he gave interviews about the need to 'remain humble, keep our feet on the ground'.
It is not known if he had been given permission by his manager, although Liverpool's next match is not until Saturday, against Preston in the FA Cup.
The supporter who had his picture taken with Gerrard shortly before the fight broke out said the footballer was 'in a good mood'.
The fan, who did not give his name, told ITV news: 'He seemed buoyant. I'm shocked that anything would have happened. I had a chat with him in the toilet and he was chuffed with the victory and it all seemed very nice.'
The fan added that he left the bar before the fight broke out.
Merseyside police said six arrests had been made on suspicion of a 'section 20 assault', which carries a maximum sentence of five years. Those in custody apart from Gerrard were four men from Huyton aged 33, 31, 29 and 19, and an 18-year-old from Litherland.
Gerrard is the latest in a long line of footballers to become involved in unsavoury incidents off the pitch.
Almost exactly a year ago, Joey Barton, who also grew up in Huyton, attacked a passerby after a night out in Liverpool, knocking him to the ground and punching him up to 20 times.
The 25-year-old, who plays for Newcastle United, was given a six-month jail sentence but served less than half - even though at the time of the attack he was on bail for attacking former team-mate Ousmane Dabo during training. He later received a suspended sentence for that offence as well as a 12-game ban.
In 2002, Chelsea's John Terry stood trial along with teammate Jody Morris accused of attacking a nightclub bouncer. Both were cleared.
The same year another current England international, Jonathan Woodgate, now of Spurs, was found guilty of affray but cleared of causing grievous bodily harm with intent over a brutal street attack on Asian student Sarfraz Najeib in Leeds.
His team-mate Lee Bowyer was cleared of causing GBH with intent and affray.
