Footage has emerged showing England and Everton star Ross Barkley being punched to the floor in a nightclub.
The midfielder, 23, was enjoying a night out with friends when he was viciously knocked to the floor.
The unprovoked attack was caught on CCTV footage at Santa Chupitos in Liverpool, England, around 2 a.m. Monday morning – just hours after Barkley had helped his team to a 4-2 victory over Leicester City.
In the footage, two men appear to be talking calmly before one of them gets enraged and throws a huge punch at Barkley.
The soccer star drops to the floor, but the attacker continues streaming in – apparently hurling other punches. Looking a little dazed, Barkley manages to get back on his feet after being helped by other partiers.
The England star’s representative confirmed the midfielder was the victim of an “unprovoked attack by a stranger who approached him.”
Police are reviewing the footage, and an Everton spokesman confirmed the club are looking into the incident.
Fans have posted the footage on social media.
“Merseyside Police is aware of footage online reportedly showing an assault in a bar in Liverpool city center,” a police spokesperson said.
“No report of an assault has been received, but officers are making inquiries to establish the circumstances of the incident.”
Barkley was left out of the England squad last month and is out of contract at the end of the next season.
He came under fire for his performance during the Toffees’ 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby earlier this month.
But he bounced back with a stunning display against Leicester, setting up Romelu Lukaku’s first goal in the victory.
And Barkley took to Twitter to hail the win as a “perfect way to finish the week off.”