The former West Ham defender Calum Davenport has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a team-mate after a local league match in Bedfordshire.
Davenport, who plays for Elstow Abbey FC who are top of Division One of the Bedfordshire County Football League, was detained after a man in his thirties received a head injury at Cranfield United’s ground on Saturday and was taken to hospital.
Bedfordshire police said a 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and released on bail.
Davenport had been sent off 10 minutes from time during the 4-2 defeat to second-placed Cranfield. The defender drifted down the leagues after his Premier League career was brought to a halt in 2009 when he was stabbed in the legs by his sister’s boyfriend. The assailant was jailed for six years.
Davenport lost half of the blood in his body and spent two days in intensive care and then a further month in hospital, and was let go by West Ham the following year.
Ed Frost, chairman of Cranfield United, told Bedfordshire on Sunday: “The incident occured in the away changing room between away players, it was isolated there and didn’t spill over into the clubhouse.
“This followed a tense game between two teams at the top of the table, in which Mr Davenport was sent off in the latter stages.”
An ambulance spokeswoman said: “The East of England Ambulance Service Trust was called to an incident on Crawley Road at 3.32pm on Saturday March 14.
“An ambulance was called to a man in his 30s with a suspected head injury and who was taken to Bedford hospital for further care.”
The paper said Bedfordshire police were called at 4.35pm by the ambulance service and arrested Davenport, who has been bailed until 17 April.
