A former Liverpool FC player who kicked a woman to the floor in a bus stop row asked "do you know who I am?" as he attacked her.

John Joseph Welsh, 35, had drunk 11 pints of shandy on a night out with his brothers in Liverpool city centre on March 24 last year.

Welsh played as a Liverpool FC midfielder between 2001 to 2006, and was signed by Tranmere Rovers in 2009 before going on to captain Preston North End.

The dad-of-three bumped into a couple who were waiting for a taxi at a bus stop at the junction of Victoria Street and Temple Street, shortly before 4am.

Welsh told his victim Jeanette Gavin to "watch where you're going you fat b****" before a row erupted between him, Miss Gavin and her partner Eileen Phealey.

Prosecuting, Claire Jones said: "At 3.40am the women were standing together in the bus stop at the corner of Victoria Street and Temple Street waiting for a cab.

"The defendant walked past them and an altercation took place between them about what was perceived to have happened at the bus stop.

"He said 'I can do what I f***ing want' and words to the effect of 'don't you tell me what to do, I will do whatever I want. Don't you know who I am' and said he could find out where they live."

Welsh, of Eaton Road in West Derby, then kicked the 57-year-old in the right leg, taking her feet out from under her and bringing her to the floor.

The driving instructor, who was left with a fracture to her leg, then called the police and Welsh was apprehended - having sustained an injury to his lip after being punched.

Welsh pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm yesterday and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today.

Supported in the court room by his wife and family, Welsh was handed a 15 month custodial sentence suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to wear an electronic tag for three months and carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, as well as providing £2,000 in compensation.

Defending Welsh in court, Damien Nolan said the incident was 'six of one and half a dozen of the other' and that his client also 'received injuries' in the row.

He also pointed to the amount of charitable work Welsh had been involved with over the years as part of his position as a professional footballer.

Mr Nolan said: "His profession is often labelled as concerning selfish people who are only out for themselves and he has demonstrated he is of a different character."

Show more

Welsh joined Liverpool at the age of 10, going on to become the captain of the reserve team before starting training with the first team squad in the 2001-2002 season.

He made four appearances for the club, including in the 2005 Champions League run when he came on as a substitute in the away tie against Bayer Leverkusen.

Welsh signed for Tranmere Rovers in 2009, before signing for Preston North End in 2012.

Sentencing Welsh, Recorder Simon Killeen said: "On March 24, 2018 you were in Liverpool city centre at 3.20am and were clearly drunk having consumed 11 pints of shandy.

"You become involved in an altercation with two ladies - it was as much your fault as theirs but what is your fault is that, after that initial coming together, you kicked one of these ladies with such force to the leg that you fractured her leg."

At the end of the 2017-2018 season, Welsh left Preston North End and signed for Grimsby Town, where he was club captain until leaving last week.