Ross Barkley was on the receiving end of a vicious attack in a bar after helping Everton to a 4-2 win over Leicester City on Sunday.“We can confirm that Ross was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a stranger who approached him on Sunday evening,” Barkley’s lawyers said, via BBC Sport's David Ornstein.CCTV footage of the incident was leaked and quickly spread on social media. It shows Barkley, 23, having a conversation with another man before he gets punched in the face.According to the Mirror, the altercation happened at Santa Chupitos in Liverpool. A spokesman for the bar confirmed that the staff member who leaked the footage has been sacked.“We take the privacy of anyone in our bar extremely seriously and what has happened is very disappointing,” the spokesman said.“In the first instance it’s very rare that any altercations happen in the venue. We’re a friendly bar and this is not something which happens regularly. It’s very much an isolated incident.“We’ll work with the authorities to help in any way we can now.“We’ve found out how the footage was made public and acted quickly to remove the person responsible from the company.”
Criminal accuses Barkley on Facebook
Barkley’s lawyers claim the incident was unprovoked but there may be more to it than that.
A notorious gangster named Sam Walker has accused the Everton midfielder of trying to get close to the attacker’s girlfriend.
Now, Walker, a convicted drug dealer, has previous with Barkley. In 2014, he told the player, via Twitter: “Inbox me a number for you, ya little rat! You know wot this is about so don’t play stupid or your footie career will come to an end!”
Walker takes to Facebook
Walker, 33, reacted to Barkley’s bar altercation on Facebook on Monday.
“Got to say Ross Barkley did have it comin to him, getting banged out again last night by one of the lads,” Walker wrote.
“That’s what’s he gets for thinking he can go round trying to blag the lads birds the little gimp.
“Far to many footballers/boxers in this city who think they can try an grip any of the lads birds when they are out in town drunk. Only a matter of time before someone [three knife emojis] one of them for it.”