Ferdinand in court
Footballer Anton Ferdinand, who plays for English Premier League side West Ham, faced the first day of a trial accused of hitting a man in a brawl outside a nightclub in London Monday.
The 22-year-old, who denies causing actual bodily harm and affray, featured in closed-circuit television footage of a street fight shown to jurors at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London.
His older brother Rio, who plays for Manchester United and England, was in court as prosecutor Alex Agbamu said Ferdinand had offered a range of explanations for what happened.
These included that he was acting in self defence and that he feared he would be mugged for his 64,000 pound (91,000 euro, 132,000 dollar) watch.
Ferdinand is standing trial alongside another man, 28-year-old Edward Dawkins of Beckton, east London, who also denies similar charges over the incident outside Faces nightclub in Ilford, east London, last October.
The trial is expected to last for five days.
Ferdinand, a defender, has played for England's under-21 side. His cousin is the former England striker Les Ferdinand.
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