Former footballer Joey Barton has been charged with wounding with intent following an alleged assault on Sunday near a golf club, Merseyside Police said.
Emergency services were called to Fairway, near the Huyton and Prescot Golf Club, at around 9pm after receiving reports that a man had been assaulted.
Police said the victim was taken to the hospital for an assessment after suffering serious injuries to his face and body. He remains in a serious but stable condition at the hospital.
Mr Barton, 43, from Wildnes, and Gary O’Grady, 50, from Huyton, were both arrested, and remain in custody. They are set to appear at Wirral Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon.
The former footballer played for clubs including Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Queens Park Rangers. He was also capped once by England at senior level by Steve McClaren.
After retiring from playing in 2017, he went on to manage Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers.
He now hosts the ‘Common Sense with Joey Barton’ podcast, which covers topics including football, politics, and “cancel culture”.
In a statement, Merseyside Police said: “We can confirm that two men have been charged following an assault in Huyton on Sunday night, 8 March.
“At around 9pm, emergency services were called to Fairway to reports of a man having been assaulted near to Huyton and Prescot Golf Club.”
The day before the alleged assault, Mr Barton had been at St James Park in Manchester to watch Newcastle play Manchester City.
In a post on social media on Sunday, he said it was “great to back at St James’s Park last night under the lights. What a great day, seeing so many friendly faces. Thank you for all the kind words. It was an honour to play for the club.”
