Liverpool FC captain Steven Gerrard spoke of his relief on Friday following his speedy acquittal from a charge of affray.
The jury cleared the midfielder of unjustly attacking a man in a bar after deliberating for just 70 minutes at Liverpool Crown Court.
Gerrard, 29, was greeted with cheers and shouts of "come on Rocky" outside the court following the four-day trial.
The Liverpool FC midfielder said: "Can I just say how pleased I am with today’s verdict.
"I’d like to put this case behind me.
"I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and concentrating on football.
"I’d like to say a big thank you to my legal team, my friends and family and to everyone at Liverpool Football Club for supporting me."
His boss, the Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez, also voiced his joy at the news.
Mr. Benitez, who is in Singapore ahead of their game against the national team there on Sunday, said: "We are really pleased. He is very important for us and he can now focus just on football.
"We are all pleased at the club and over here at the training camp. We have been supporting him all the time and were just waiting for the decision.
"Now he can concentrate just on football and hopefully play at the same level as last year."
Gerrard, of Formby, Merseyside, admitted hitting Marcus McGee, 34, but denied affray saying it was in self-defense.
The footballer, who is married to the model Alex Curran, had been at the Lounge Inn in Southport, Merseyside, on December 29 to celebrate Liverpool FC’s 5-1 demolition of Newcastle United hours earlier.
The Reds’ captain, who scored twice in the game, was enjoying a night out with a party of friends, including Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish, 58.
CCTV footage from the bar showed Gerrard and his friends drinking beer, downing shots and dancing around while chanting football songs.
But trouble flared at around 2am when the father-of-two wanted to change the music on the CD player.
Prosecutor David Turner QC told the jury of seven women and five men that Gerrard "lost it" after Marcus McGee, a member of another group who had been asked to organize the music that night, refused his request.
The prosecution painted him as a spoilt star who was accustomed to being idolized and getting what he wants.
Mr. Turner described his reaction to Mr. McGee’s refusal as a "huff" and said Mr. Gerrard punched the victim "with the style and speed of a professional boxer".
But Gerrard told the jury he was shocked by Mr. McGee’s attitude and wanted to smooth things over.
He told the court: "I asked Marcus what was the problem with the music machine and why he treated me like that.
"Very quickly he came off the bar stool and was in my face right by me."
He told his defense counsel, John Kelsey-Fry that he hit out at Mr. McGee in self-defense.
He said: "I firmly believed Marcus came towards me to hit me."
In reality, CCTV shows that, unknown to either the victim or the footballer, Mr. McGee was reacting to being elbowed by John Doran, 29, a school friend of Gerrard’s.
Gerrard described raising his left arm to grab the back of Mr. McGee’s jumper.
He said: "I grabbed the back of his jumper as he moved forward to me. When I had hold of Marcus, I remember swinging my right hand two or three times."
He said the incident took about four or five seconds before he was "pushed and pulled" away from Mr. McGee.
Gerrard apologized for what happened, telling the jury: "I am sorry about the whole incident."
After throwing the punches at Mr. McGee, Gerrard was pulled away by a barman to another part of the venue as some of his friends attacked Mr. McGee.
Five of them have admitted affray. They are Ian Smith, 19, of Hilary Avenue, John Doran, 29, of Woodlands Road, and Paul McGrattan, 31, of Linden Drive, all Huyton, and Accrington Stanley footballers Robert Grant, 19, of Enstone Avenue, Litherland, and Ian Dunbavin, 28, of Guildford Road, Southport.
Another friend, John McGrattan, 34, of Rimmer Avenue, Huyton, admitted threatening behaviour.
The six men will be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on August 7.
The jury cleared the midfielder of unjustly attacking a man in a bar after deliberating for just 70 minutes at Liverpool Crown Court.
Gerrard, 29, was greeted with cheers and shouts of "come on Rocky" outside the court following the four-day trial.
The Liverpool FC midfielder said: "Can I just say how pleased I am with today’s verdict.
"I’d like to put this case behind me.
"I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and concentrating on football.
"I’d like to say a big thank you to my legal team, my friends and family and to everyone at Liverpool Football Club for supporting me."
His boss, the Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez, also voiced his joy at the news.
Mr. Benitez, who is in Singapore ahead of their game against the national team there on Sunday, said: "We are really pleased. He is very important for us and he can now focus just on football.
"We are all pleased at the club and over here at the training camp. We have been supporting him all the time and were just waiting for the decision.
"Now he can concentrate just on football and hopefully play at the same level as last year."
Gerrard, of Formby, Merseyside, admitted hitting Marcus McGee, 34, but denied affray saying it was in self-defense.
The footballer, who is married to the model Alex Curran, had been at the Lounge Inn in Southport, Merseyside, on December 29 to celebrate Liverpool FC’s 5-1 demolition of Newcastle United hours earlier.
The Reds’ captain, who scored twice in the game, was enjoying a night out with a party of friends, including Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish, 58.
CCTV footage from the bar showed Gerrard and his friends drinking beer, downing shots and dancing around while chanting football songs.
But trouble flared at around 2am when the father-of-two wanted to change the music on the CD player.
Prosecutor David Turner QC told the jury of seven women and five men that Gerrard "lost it" after Marcus McGee, a member of another group who had been asked to organize the music that night, refused his request.
The prosecution painted him as a spoilt star who was accustomed to being idolized and getting what he wants.
Mr. Turner described his reaction to Mr. McGee’s refusal as a "huff" and said Mr. Gerrard punched the victim "with the style and speed of a professional boxer".
But Gerrard told the jury he was shocked by Mr. McGee’s attitude and wanted to smooth things over.
He told the court: "I asked Marcus what was the problem with the music machine and why he treated me like that.
"Very quickly he came off the bar stool and was in my face right by me."
He told his defense counsel, John Kelsey-Fry that he hit out at Mr. McGee in self-defense.
He said: "I firmly believed Marcus came towards me to hit me."
In reality, CCTV shows that, unknown to either the victim or the footballer, Mr. McGee was reacting to being elbowed by John Doran, 29, a school friend of Gerrard’s.
Gerrard described raising his left arm to grab the back of Mr. McGee’s jumper.
He said: "I grabbed the back of his jumper as he moved forward to me. When I had hold of Marcus, I remember swinging my right hand two or three times."
He said the incident took about four or five seconds before he was "pushed and pulled" away from Mr. McGee.
Gerrard apologized for what happened, telling the jury: "I am sorry about the whole incident."
After throwing the punches at Mr. McGee, Gerrard was pulled away by a barman to another part of the venue as some of his friends attacked Mr. McGee.
Five of them have admitted affray. They are Ian Smith, 19, of Hilary Avenue, John Doran, 29, of Woodlands Road, and Paul McGrattan, 31, of Linden Drive, all Huyton, and Accrington Stanley footballers Robert Grant, 19, of Enstone Avenue, Litherland, and Ian Dunbavin, 28, of Guildford Road, Southport.
Another friend, John McGrattan, 34, of Rimmer Avenue, Huyton, admitted threatening behaviour.
The six men will be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on August 7.
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