Man City player arrested on assault charges -media

LONDON, Mar 13 (Reuters) Manchester City footballer Joey Barton has been arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage, media reports said today.

Barton, 24, who won his first cap for England as a substitute in last month's friendly international against Spain, was arrested over an incident involving a taxi driver in Liverpool in the early hours of March 4, the reports said.

''I can confirm a 24-year-old man, from Cronton, Cheshire, was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage and assault,'' a Merseyside police spokeswoman said.

Barton's club said in a statement it had no comment on the reports.

The combative midfielder, originally from Huyton, Liverpool has previously courted controversy with both his on and off-field behaviour.

The Football Association fined him 2,000 pounds after he dropped his shorts and bared his bottom at Everton fans in October.

He was also fined for gross misconduct over an incident at the team's hotel during a trip to Thailand in July 2005, while in 2004 City fined him six weeks' wages after he poked a lit cigar into the eye of a trainee at a club Christmas party.

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