England's Ledley King arrested over assault
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Tottenham defender Ledley King apologized to the club today after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a nightclub doorman.
The Spurs captain was released on bail after being questioned by police on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm to the doorman in London's Soho district. The incident happened hours after he returned from playing in the team's 0-0 draw with Everton on Saturday.
"I sincerely regret that a night out with friends went too far. I have apologised to Harry and I fully appreciate that, as a professional footballer, I have a duty to behave in a responsible manner," King said in a statement released by the club.
King was detained at around at around 2:30 a.m. (0130 GMT) after officers on a routine patrol were flagged down by members of the public.
"I am assisting the police with their enquiries," King said. "Anyone who knows me, knows that much of what has been suggested is totally out of character.
"I am keen to resolve this as soon as possible and concentrate on my football. I shall be putting my all into ensuring I give of my best for the remaining fixtures."
The alleged victim, who did not require medical treatment, said in an interview with Sky News that King made racist remarks to him and pushed him.
"After five or 10 minutes he just turned around again and tried to push us," Wahib Butt told Sky. "We refused to let him come inside because he was so drunk. He started calling us different names and he started saying to me racist comments.
"He was saying to me that I'm fat, I'm earning less than him, he's a rich guy so he's got nothing to lose and I've got everything to lose. He should not be doing this because he should be setting a good example to people who follow him."
Tottenham issued a statement saying they knew about the altercation.
"The club is aware of an incident involving Ledley King in the early hours of Sunday morning," Tottenham said in a statement. "We await details and information and it would be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time."
King, who has a chronic knee injury that prevents him from practicing between games, was called up to the England squad in March for the first time in almost two years. However, his bad knees forced him to pull out before a friendly against Slovakia.