CCTV footage has emerged showing Everton ace Ross Barkley being attacked in a nightclub row and being dropped to the floor from a punch in the face.
The unprovoked attack, as seen in the video below, occurred at Santa Chupitos in Liverpool around 2am on Monday morning after the midfielder had helped Everton to a 4-2 win over Leicester City on Sunday.
It looks as though the attacker was calmly talking to the 23-year-old before punching him in the face and then being restrained from inflicting further damage.
Ross Barkley got 'bingoed' on a night out in Liverpool after Everton's 4-2 win. Leicester wheren't the only ones getting battered! #EFC pic.twitter.com/WsOy1loZwq
— Top Of The Kop (@TOTK96) April 10, 2017
It’s been claimed that Barkley was able to get back to his feet, albeit a little dazed, and was helped by others around him as the situation was dealt with by security.
Making headlines for matters off the pitch is not what the Everton man would want right now as he has yet to secure his future with Everton, although this is clearly something he couldn’t have predicted would happen.
As he continues to stall on signing a new contract with the Toffees and with Ronald Koeman putting pressure on him to make his mind up, it remains to be seen what he decides to do and unsavoury scenes like these will be an unwanted distraction.