International footballer arrested in London on suspicion of assault

The man was arrested over the weekend

The incident is alleged to have happened in the early hours of Saturday morning in the West End of the UK's capital city.

Police said they were called to the incident at 00:47 GMT on 6 December.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "A 29-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of two counts of assault and one count of affray. He has since been released on bail while enquiries continue."

The person cannot be named for legal reasons.

However, BBC Sport report that the person arrested was indeed an international footballer.

The alleged victim was taken to hospital with injuries, which police said were not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.

Normally, the identity of a suspect will only be released if they are charged.

The news comes just days after a former England player was reportedly arrested on suspicion of attempted rape at Stansted Airport.

The Sun reported that the player was detained at Stansted Airport following allegations from an ex-partner.

Police say the player has been bailed following further inquiries.

The Sun reported that the player was stopped at passport control due to a non-recent allegation of attempted rape reported by a former partner.

A source told The Sun: “He was walking through passport control when he was discreetly pulled aside by Border Force.

“There was clearly an issue and he was led away.”

The complaint was allegedly made several weeks ago, prompting an investigation.

After being arrested at Stansted Airport he was driven to a local police station where his fingerpints, DNA sample, and mugshot were taken.

He was held for a number of hours before being released on bail pending further inquiries.

Essex Police said: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and has been bailed to a date in late February 2026 while we continue our inquiries.”

The player's identity has not been made public for legal reasons.